This Time
by kaela097
Summary: Takes place right after season two leaves off with Blair and Chuck reuniting. My version of how the summer should go, flowing into the new season.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**Back to the beginning….where season two left off.**

"Chuck Bass, is a romantic, who knew?" Blair thought as she molded herself against him as they lay in bed together. It wasn't the first time she'd thought it, or said it for that matter. She'd first said it to him the night of his father's wedding to Lily. When he wanted to do things right. . . take it slow. But it turns out their idea of right was completely wrong.

Chuck and Blair holding hands and going to the movies didn't work. It was too ordinary, and they both prided themselves on being extraordinary. They fell apart after one week. Granted it had been a great week, but it still ended.

They tried to move on. They both really tried. Chuck - with any and every woman he could find. Blair went from one relationship to the next, from Marcus to Jack (a one night mistake) to Carter (another mistake) and then back to Nate.

Nate should have made her happy. She kept telling herself that. He had been the perfect gentleman, and did everything that she asked of him. Serena was no longer the distraction as she had been at the end of their first try, but there was a spark missing, the one that only Chuck had ever managed to ignite. Nate was gracious in letting her go again, this time for good she concluded.

Now Chuck was back . . . in her life once more. He didn't want to do it right or take it slow this time. He wanted jumped in with both feet. There would be no safety nets. If they crashed and burned this time, they would go down in spectacular fashion.

"What are you thinking about, Waldorf?" Chuck asked as he stroked her chin lightly.

"I'm thinking that this isn't really happening. I'm going to wake up in my bed and this is going to all be a dream. My heart is going to break again harder than it did the last time," she confessed. Verbalizing her emotions was hard for her. Admitting how much he had hurt her was even harder.

"This is real this time," he stated as he rolled towards her so that he could look her deeply in the eyes. "I know I hurt you, Blair, and I'll never be able to say I'm sorry enough, but this time is real."

"Can you say it again?" she smirked.

"I've said it a hundred times since this afternoon," he stated as he threw his head back and laughed.

"Make it a hundred and one," she demanded. She took in his laugh, loving the way it sounded, so free and effortless. "Maybe this time I'll believe you."

"I love you, Blair," he responded as he leaned in to kiss her lips passionately, "And I'll keep saying it until you do believe me."

"What's next for us?" she inquired curiously as she rolled out of bed, the sheet coming with her as she felt suddenly shy lying in bed naked next to him. She quickly began scanning his penthouse bedroom to try and locate her clothing.

"The modesty is really cute, Blair," Chuck stated as slid off the bed and he stood before her, as naked as she was underneath the sheet. He was tugging at the cloth, trying to get her to drop it. "But hardly necessary. I've seen all there is to see, and believe me, I intent to see it again and again."

"You aren't answering my question," Blair responded as she kept a firm grip on the bed sheet as he kissed the nape of her neck.

"What's next for us," he repeated as he gave up on ridding her of the sheet and pulled her into his arms, "How about a repeat of our last few hours together?"

"How about after that?" she pressed as she leaned into his embrace, "Are we going to try the Chuck and Blair holding hands and going to the movies thing again? We both know that doesn't work for us. We like the game. We like torturing each other, manipulating each other into getting what we want."

"I have every intention of continuing that torture," he groaned seductively, "It will just take on a completely different form."

"Come on, Chuck," she responded as she tried to break free of his grasp, "We have to be more than sex. We'll crash and burn for sure."

He knew she was right. He had spent his life crashing and burning each night with a different woman. There was a reason he didn't sleep with the same woman more than once. Blair had always been the exception. He kept asking himself why, but the answer never came.

"We'll figure it out," he responded finally as he continued to hold onto her tightly. "We're Blair and Chuck, that's all that is important right now."

"True," she agreed as she finally let go of the sheet and put her arms around his neck, the sheet falling to the floor completely forgotten.

"I love you, Blair," Chuck responded. She began beaming at his declaration. She would never tire of hearing that. A thought suddenly popped into his head. "You know you never did actually open the presents that I brought you."

"I don't even know where they ended up," she admitted as she began looking around the room.

"We should find them," he insisted, "I could use a snack and those macaroons looked so good when I bought them."

Blair began following the trail of clothes that led to his suite door. Had they really been wearing that many clothes? They felt as if they had peeled off of their own accord as Chuck and Blair found their way to his bed, a recently purchased new bed he would eventually point out. He was a new man as of that moment, and he didn't want her having to sleep were so many others had. He refused to allow her to see herself as just another one of his conquests.

She was the woman he loved. The only woman he would ever love. She deserved the best he had to offer.

Finally locating the beautifully wrapped packages she picked them up and moved to return to the bedroom. He was standing in the doorframe waiting patiently for her to return to him. She looked at the packages carefully. Were there always three? She could only remember him giving her two, the macaroon and the stockings. What was in the third package?

Chuck began laughing as she finally put together what he had purposefully withheld from her.

"Paris and Germany," she stated as began sauntering back to him making sure that her hips swayed a little bit more than normal, "But you were also in Italy. Did you get me something there as well?"

"Of course," he laughed as he pulled her into his arms, taking the boxes from her so they couldn't interfere with their closeness. She moaned at the skin-to-skin contact as she melted into his embrace. There was never going to be enough of this for them.

"Care to share?" she asked as he began nibbling on her neck drawing out a low groan from the back of her throat. Chuck smirked into the hollow of her neck as he made a mental note of that location; it was definitely one of her sensitive spots. He wanted to learn them all.

"Chuck?" she groaned as he picked her up in his arms and carried back to their bed. The presents would wait until later.

* * *

"You don't have to leave," Chuck insisted as he tried to pull her back to bed just as she finished getting dressed. They had spent their entire day in his bedroom.

"I have to go home and get a change of clothes," she responded as she tried combing her fingers through her hair as she stuffed her blouse in a laundry bag. She had tried to put it back on but found that too many of the buttons had been popped off by Chuck earlier that day. She was currently wearing one of his dressed shirts, and he had been fighting to get it off her ever since she opened his closet and put it on.

"We can send someone for them," Chuck replied as he pulled her back to the bed.

"A few hours away from me will not kill you," Blair responded as she pushed him away so she could get up.

"Why tempt fate," he stated as he caught her wrist just before she was out of reach and spun her towards him, "Haven't we tempted fate enough."

"That's a good try," she smirked as she loosened his grip, "I'll be back soon."

"Not soon enough," he responded as he pulled her into his arms, "And you never opened your presents."

"Are you still hungry," she teased.

"For more than just macaroons," he growled as she began caressing his earlobe.

"If I open my presents, you have to let me leave," she insisted.

"When you open your presents, you won't want to leave," he replied confidently as his hands found their way under the dress shirt she was sporting to caress the bare skin underneath. He'd never be able to wear the shirt again. He'd be walking around New York City with a hard-on for the entire day.

"Smug Basstard," she hissed as his fingertips tracked the curve of her spine. A smirk appeared on his face as he lifted the shirt over her head and onto the floor. He could sense that rher determination to leave had flown out the window. "You are going to kill me, Bass."

"As long as you take me with you, Waldorf," he stated as they fell into bed once more. The presents would wait many more hours.

**I'm open for suggestions as to what the third present should be. Let me know. I'll take the best suggestion and I write it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**Thank you to TriGemini for the idea.**

Chuck woke up with the bright morning sun hitting his eyes. He groaned as he looked over at the clock to see that it was barely seven thirty in the morning. He cursed himself for not closing the blinds the previous evening as he rolled over to block out the offending rays and get more sleep, but he rolled right into a warm body. He panicked at first because he couldn't remember going out the previous evening and picking any girls up, but the auburn curls gave her away and he sighed in happiness. Blair.

She had stayed the entire night with him in bed. She had threatened to leave at one point, trying to convince him that she needed a change of clothes, but he had talked his way out of it. He couldn't bear to be separated from her right now . . . perhaps ever again. They'd cross that bridge later.

He had come to her, or rather she came upon him outside the Palace, and offered her his heart, unconditionally. He had said the three words that she needed to hear . . . the three words he needed to say.

He'd fought them, long and hard. He was Chuck Bass. He wasn't supposed to feel an emotion as powerful and dangerous and wonderful as love. He hadn't been raised that way. His father had taught him to close off his emotions, bury them as deep as possible. They were a sign of weakness, and a Bass man was never weak. They ate weakness for breakfast.

With Blair, Chuck didn't feel weak. He felt powerful and confident and . . . happy. He hadn't realized how long it had been since he'd really smiled or even laughed, it may have been the last time he was with her during the week after his father married Lily.

"What a wasted year," he thought as he began caressing the soft skin of her shoulder as she slept. She continued to sleep soundly, mumbling occasionally in her sleep. He chuckled softly as he leaned forward to try and make out what she was saying. It sounded like orders she would give Dorota, but he couldn't be sure. He never knew she talked in her sleep. He'd have to tease her about it later.

He stomach began rumbling loudly as he suddenly realized how hungry he was. It had been a long time since he'd actually had anything to eat, since before his confession. She must be just as hungry. They had exerted a lot of energy in the past sixteen hours. Has it really been that long already?

He began scanning the room for the presents he had given her the day before. They were lying forgotten on the floor near the foot of the bed. She had almost gotten around to opening them at one point, but they were still wrapped. He smiled at the one present that he hadn't told her about. It had been a deliberate omission on his part. He couldn't get the words out, it was easier to tell her how he felt that to let her truly see what she had meant to him in that moment. It was hard enough to tell her how he felt, but for her to truly see how he felt that was the last step. This package would show her, for it was such a part of him.

They'd get to the present eventually. She was too much like him to let it go for too long, but for now he concluded that room service would need to be ordered. He rolled out of bed slowly so that he wouldn't wake her, grabbed his robe and then walked out of the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Chuck," he heard her moan from the bedroom just as breakfast was being delivered. He quickly signed his name to the bill, giving the attendant a generous tip, even for him, and shoved him out the door for fear that Blair would come out as naked as she had been the previous evening. He would love it of course, but the attendant didn't deserve a tip that good.

He quickly pushed the breakfast cart into the bedroom to see that she was still asleep. She was tossing and turning as if she was having a nightmare. When had that started?

"Blair," he whispered softly as he went to pull her into his arms to cradle her. She began to relax slightly but she was still shaking. He ached to know what she was dreaming about. What could cause her that much fear and worry? He began stroking her hair repeatedly as he began softly whispering her name over and over again in hopes that he would wake her. She didn't deserve whatever nightmare she was facing.

"Chuck," she gasped as her eyes opened wide.

"I'm right here," he whispered into her ear as he continued spoon with her in his arms, rocking back and forth slightly now.

"Oh my god," she gulped as she tried to catch her breath as she reached out to grasp his forearm tightly that was wrapped protectively around her shoulders.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured her as she began taking deep breathes in an effort to calm herself down. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she still was shaking although the terror he had first when she woke up was slowly subsiding. "Talk to me, Blair."

"Oh my god," she repeated as the shaking finally stopped, "I don't know what happened. One minute you were sitting with me in this beautiful meadow surrounding by pink wildflowers, and then the next minute you just disappeared and I couldn't find you. I kept hearing a sinister cackle, which sounded suspiciously like Georgina by the way, but you had vanished into thin air. I was frantically searching for you, and then I found my way into this dark wooded area and the trees began reaching out for me, like in Snow White."

"It was just a dream," he stated as he wiped the tears that had fallen down her cheeks as he kissed her temple gently.

"I know," she stated as she turned in his arms so that she could lay her head on his chest. The beating of his heart helped calm her down. That was when she sat the cart of food that he had wheeled in moments earlier.

"Hungry?" he inquired as he saw her eyes widen into a smile. The nightmare was quickly pushed out of her mind.

"Starving," she nodded as she sat up while allowing the sheet to pool at her waist. Her modesty was from the previous day was completely gone for the moment. How could she feel anything put proud at the lustful way that he looked at her? She knew that if he had been a little less hungry that breakfast would have waited, but it was too hard to ignore both of their rumbling stomachs. He quickly pulled the cart closer to them and handed her a flaky croissant, which she eagerly accepted and began eating.

Neither spoke for several minutes as they gobbled up the delicious food he had order.

"When was the last time either of us has eaten?" she asked finally as the hunger pains in her stomach finally subsided as the food made its way to her stomach.

"I was trying to figure that out as I ordered breakfast," he replied, "I think it was before you came upon me outside the hotel."

"That was almost twenty-four hours ago," she laughed as her eyes sparkled in amusement.

"Seventeen," he corrected her, "But it explains why we demolished this cart."

"Maybe we should have snacked on those macaroons last night," she laughed as she pulled him towards her as she surveyed the demolished food cart. There were a few scraps of food left, but not much.

"Speaking of which," he prompted her as he handed her the wrapped boxes, "Are you ever planning on opening them?"

"If you ever stop distracting me, I might," she laughed as he began kissing her neck again, his hands skimming the bare flesh of her sides and back. The packages fell into her lap again as her arms went around him to pull him closer. He pulled away reluctantly and then handed one of the boxes to her again.

He really wanted to see her reaction to the gifts. She began to unwrap the first box he handed her, the macaroons. She chuckled as she took a bite of one before offering the rest to him, both enjoying the taste of her favorite treat as he handed her the next box, the silk stockings that he adored. She smirked as he ran his hand down her bare thigh.

"I do adore them," he stated, "But if I have to choose, I choose you in none at all."

"What a surprise," she laughed as she leaned forward to capture his lips, "You prefer any woman in nothing at all."

"Once upon a time, I would agree with you," he smirked devilishly as he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and away from her face, "But not anymore."

"What's changed?" she asked skeptically as he caressed her cheek softly as his eyes softened.

"We've changed," he replied as he traced her collarbone with his finger. Goosebumps began to raise up from her skin at the gentle sensation. This tenderness was going to take a little getting used to. "Or perhaps I've changed. I only want you. I tried to find other outlets . . . other women. In the end, only you can ignite the fire in me, and I'm done fighting that."

"Chuck Bass is a romantic, who knew," she smirked playfully.

"Now you do," he laughed as he recalled the previous time she had said those words to him and his response.

"Please tell me we aren't going to take things slow this time," she pleaded.

"I think we're sixteen hours past slow," he laughed lightly as he looked at the rumbled bed sheets they were laying on, "But we are going to do things right this time."

"Promise," she requested.

"Yes, I promise," he nodded. She smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. Chuck Bass kept his promises, perhaps not to other people, but always to her.

"Do I get the other package," she inquired as she pulled away.

"Yes," he nodded as he took a shaky deep breath. This was the moment of truth. He couldn't hide from her. From this moment forward she would know just how much she meant to him. "I should warn you, it's not actually from my trip to Italy. It just occurred to me while I was in Italy that I should give this to you."

She nodded as she accepted the last package, smiling at the nervous shake of his hands. Only she could elicit that type of uncertainty in him.

"Chuck!" she gasped as she unwrapped the gift and pulled the lid off the box. Inside was a plaid printed silk scarf . . . the scarf he had worn for so many years . . . his signature scarf.

Her reaction confused him at first as she sat there in stunned silence. Did she realize what it was? Suddenly the box was thrown aside onto the bed as she threw her arms around him. The movements had him falling backwards onto the soft pillows behind him. She knew.

"I take it you like it," he laughed softly as she began nibbling on his neck.

"You gave me the one thing that has always seemed defined who you were," she nodded against his neck, "It's been a part of you for so long."

"And now it's a part of you, just like my heart is," he responded.

"Are you sure you want me to have this," she asked as she reached out to grasp the silk in the box, "It's your signature."

"My signature of my playboy days," he nodded, "Those days are over. I want you to keep the scarf. If you feel that I may stray, I want you to pull it out and wave it my way. That will be my cue to assure you how committed I am to you."

"This is so much better than a heart pinned to a stupid sweater sleeve," she stated as she pulled the scarf around her neck, enjoying the feel of it against her bare skin.

"Don't mock the heart pin," he scolded her as he grabbed both ends and used it to pull her closer to him, "I full intend to receive that pin from you in the near future. I know what that pin means to you. You first gave it to Nate, and then . . . Marcus."

"I never actually gave it to Marcus," she confessed, smirking at the hesitation in his voice at having to mention the stupid British lord that she had foolishly dated, "I slipped it on his sleeve when he wasn't looking so that you'd see it. I took it back as soon as you left."

"I'm glad to hear that," he responded as he let out a breath he hadn't realized that he'd been holding, "It means more then."

She leaned in and kissed him in reassurance.

"You will give it to me, won't you?" he inquired as he pulled away.

"As soon as I find the perfect sweater to sew it into," she nodded.

"You mean when you find the perfect sweater to have Dorota sew it into," he teased.

"No, as soon as I find the perfect sweater to sew it into," she repeated, "I sewed it into Nate's sweater, and I'll sew it into yours, all by myself."

"I look forward to the day that I can wear it," he smirked as he rolled her under him as he slide the robe from his body all in the same motion, "I love you, Waldorf."

"I love you too, Bass," she smirked as they proceeded to make love.

TBC. . .


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Who keeps texting you?" Blair asked as they sat on Chuck's sofa and watched an old movie. Chuck's phone kept vibrating at random intervals although he refused to look at it. He was too busy enjoying the peace and quiet that had they finally seemed to find with being together for almost a week.

They had spent every waking hour together, and most sleeping ones. She had to go home one night after received a threatening voicemail from her mother. She mumbled something about a family night as she reluctantly left Chuck's suite, but she returned as soon as her mother left for Paris the next morning. She had asked him to go with, but he refused. He wasn't ready to face off with the parents just yet or anyone else for that matter.

Curiously Gossip Girl hadn't posted one blast regarding their relationship. Either she didn't know, which he found almost impossible considering the public spectacle he made, or she was saving it to do damage when it was most convenient for her. Either way, he dreaded the fall out. Her mother would be the least of his problems. Nate would be another matter entirely. Since their latest fight for Blair, their friendship had fallen apart yet again. He worried about what Nate's reaction would be when he found out.

Chuck finally leaned away from her to grab his phone. He was determined to turn it off, but her curiosity got the better of him. It was strange for him to be receiving texts. She received them on and off all day from Serena with updates about her whereabouts. Apparently she was on some quest to find her absent father with Carter Bazien, of all people. Chuck cringed when Blair had added that fact. He could sense Blair's worry, and he saw the response she sent Serena demanded semi-daily updates.

"It's Nathaniel," he stated in surprise as he looked at the missed messages.

"I thought you weren't speaking right now," she stated as she studied his face as he flipped from one message to another.

"I thought so too," he replied as his voice became detached. "He still thinks I'm in Europe. He wants to know where I am so that we can meet up and talk things over."

"Wasn't he supposed to be backpacking with Vanessa?" she inquired.

"I don't know," he shook his head. "He didn't inform me of his plans. I figured you'd know more than me. Up until graduation, you were his girlfriend."

"We didn't last nearly as long as you think," she smirked, "We ended at Prom. I almost told you at graduation, but it didn't seem appropriate."

"You mean you chickened out," he chuckled.

"You're one to talk," she laughed as she slapped him, "Exactly how long did it take you to confess to loving me?"

"How are we going to tell him?" Chuck asked as his eyes conveyed the nervousness he felt, "I lost him once over you, and I'm close to losing him again."

"You won't lose him," she assured him, "We'll see to it that you don't this time. He wants me to be happy. He said so the night we broke up. You make me happy. He'll understand."

"How should I respond?" Chuck inquired as he looked to her to answer.

She grabbed the phone from him and texted, "Will be in Paris in three days. Meet me there. – C."

"Paris," he asked as he lifted an eyebrow in curiosity, "Are we going on vacation?"

"I should see my father before school starts," she responded, "We can kill two birds with one stone."

"I'm more worried about being one of those birds getting killed. Nathaniel is going to murder me," he responded.

"Will you stop saying that," she requested, "I won't let things get that out of control."

"Are you saying you plan on being there?" he realized in surprise.

"Of course," she assured him, "I'm as much a part of all of this as the two of you. He needs to know that this is my choice as much as it is yours."

"When would you like to leave?" he asked as he tried to shift their conversation away from Nate. They'd be dealing with that soon enough.

"That depends on you," she replied, "Do you still have access to Bass Industries' private jet?"

"Of course," he chuckled, "I am the majority owner of the company, and when Lily thinks I'm ready I'll be taking over."

"Then when can the jet be ready?" she inquired with a sly smile.

"I walked right into that one," he laughed out loudly. She looked at him expectantly. "I'll make a few calls and find out where it currently is. If it's in New York, we can probably take off within an hour."

"Let's hope it's in New York," she responded as she crossed her fingers hopefully, "I've always wanted to become a member of the mile high club."

Chuck groaned at the thought as he stood up from the sofa and began making his calls. She was going to be the death of him, he was sure of it. Of course, he was already a member, but the thought of him being the one to initiate her into the club was too thrilling to be ignored as he disappeared into his bedroom so that he wouldn't disturb her from watching the rest of the movie. It was one of her favorites, after all.

"Pack your bags, Waldorf, the jet can be ready in three hours," Chuck responded as he came out of his room twenty minutes later. Blair had tears in her eyes as she finished watching the end of 'My Fair Lady'. She quickly brushed them aside as she smiled cheerfully at him.

"Blair, you've seen this movie a hundred times," he laughed as he handed her a tissue to dry her eyes, "How can you still get choked up when Eliza returns to Mister Higgins in the end?"

"I'm a girl," she responded as she snatched the tissue out of his hand. She didn't give any further explanation. He didn't need one. He kissed the top of her head before he went to turn off the entertainment system.

"Come, Waldorf, you can help me pack," he replied as he pulled her to her feet and into the bedroom. He was packed in twenty minutes despite her best efforts to lure him into bed. He couldn't believe he was turning down sex at the moment, but he knew she would need a lot more time, and he didn't want to miss the helicopter to the airport. That would delay their flight, and she needed as much time as possible to pack. She always did.

True enough, an hour and a half later, they were still sitting in her bedroom as she sifted through her belongings as she tried to decide what to bring.

"Blair, what does it matter what you bring?" he groaned in boredom, "It's not like you'll be wearing it for too long." She promptly picked up a stiletto heel and threw it at him, missing him by a fraction of an inch.

"We will not be spending our entire trip in bed," she insisted. "Besides, if we spend time at my father's vineyard, he won't even let us sleep in the same room. He's old fashioned in that way."

"All the more reason to not go to the vineyard," he rolled his eyes.

"I am going to see my father," she stated forcefully, "This is not up for negotiation."

"Do you expect me to go with?" he inquired, "I mean, meeting the parents. . . that's a big step for us."

"You already know my parents," she smirked as she threw the matching stiletto to the one that she had launched moments earlier at him, this time hitting him in the shoulder when he couldn't duck fast enough.

"I know Eleanor and Harold Waldorf," he nodded, "But they only know me as Chuck Bass. Now they'll have to know me as their daughter's boyfriend. That is a whole new level of getting to know them that I don't know that I'm ready for. And what is more important, I don't know if we're ready for that. They are not going to be happy that we're together, what parent could be. I'm Chuck Bass for crying out loud. I don't meet with any parent's approval, even my own father!"

"Stop right there," she snapped, "Your father loved you, and he believed in you. He had a crappy way of showing it, yes, but that doesn't change the fact that it's true."

Chuck just shook his head. This wasn't a conversation that was worth having at this moment. It would inevitably end in an argument and they had done so well this week in avoiding them.

"Ready to go?" she asked as she zipped up the final bag while he was lost in thought.

"The question is, are you ready to go?" he inquired as he looked at the plethora of bags she had sitting at her bedroom door. Dorota was not going to be happy having to carry those down the stairs.

"Can I have the jump seat in the helicopter?" she teased.

"Absolutely not," he responded as he pulled her tight into his embrace, "You will be sitting next to me. We can get a head start on that club initiation."

"No arguments here," she moaned as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

"Ummm. . . ." he hummed as he pulled away, "We have to get going, or we'll miss the helicopter."

"And we wouldn't want to delay my entrance into the mile high club," she smirked as she kissed him one more time before they left.

"No, we definitely do not want that," he smirked devilishly as he kissed her hand.

**TBC . . . **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**I apologize for the delay. I had this ready to post yesterday, but was unable to sign in to my account to do so. Enjoy.**

"You can not be serious!" Blair exclaimed as they walked hand in hand down the Champs de Mars towards the Eiffel Tower, "You've never actually been to the Eiffel Tower. How is that possible!"

"My father was always too busy to take me whenever we came to France on business trips, and I never wanted to go with any of my nannies," he explained as the Eiffel Tower appeared larger and larger with each step they took towards it. "Even from an earlier age, I knew that experiencing the Eiffel Tower should be done with someone special, someone that I loved. Until now, I have never been love, so you see the problem."

Blair and Chuck had arrived in Paris three nights ago and had experienced all of the usual sights. The Lourve was their first destination in which Blair insisted on seeing the famed Mona Lisa painting for the fifteenth time. The second day was spent shopping at all of the famed Parisian stores, using Chuck's money of course. Their third and final day in Paris was the day they would be meeting up with Nate, but Blair demanded that they visit the Eiffel Tower before the agreed meeting time. It was on their walk that Chuck had confided in her that he'd never seen the Eiffel Tower up close. Blair's jaw had dropped in surprise.

"Chuck Bass is a virgin!" she exclaimed. Several tourists looked over at her and began chuckling. They were obviously American and understood exactly what she had said.

"Say it a little louder," Chuck snapped in a hushed tone as he began to blush, "And you know damn well that I haven't been a virgin since the sixth grade."

"You're blushing!" she laughed, "I don't think I've ever seen you do that!"

"Blair!" he groaned. His eyes were begging her to stop her teasing and lower her voice.

"I'm sorry," she responded as she bit her lip in an effort to keep from laughing, "But I just cannot believe that you've never seen the Eiffel Tower. It's almost a prerequisite for people who live on the Upper East Side."

"When have I ever conformed to the whims of the UES snobs?" Chuck rolled his eyes.

"Are you calling me a snob?" she gasped in mock horror.

"I would never call you a snob," he responded defensively. He hadn't caught the playfulness in her tone, and he thought she was genuinely offended. "I. . . Blair. . . I'm," he fumbled. He couldn't get the apology out quick enough . . . or apparently at all.

She bit back a laugh as she enjoyed watching him squirm.

"Waldorf, are you messing with me?" he realized upon catching the familiar glimmer in her eyes. She nodded her head. "You can't do that to me right now," he began laughing, "My nerves are raw. My emotions have never been more exposed than they have been for the past ten days."

"Has it been ten days already?" she mused as she kissed his cheek.

"Ten blissfully wonderful days," he nodded as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

"Ready to become de-virginized?" she teased as she pulled away.

"Only if you promise to be gentle," he winked as he smirked devilishly. The both began laughing as they continued walking.

When they approached the tower, Blair instructed Chuck to purchase their tickets and then they stepped on the elevator to take them to the second floor. Blair quickly pulled him towards the western view, which was her favorite because of the view of the Seine River. Chuck gasped upon first glance. The sight of her and the backdrop of the river was breathtaking. He fell in love with her even more in that moment. He was thankful he had waited so long for experience . . . to share this with her for his first time. It made the moment even more special.

After taking an hour to see all of the different views from the second floor, Blair suggested that they catch the elevator to the top. Chuck paid the attendant five hundred euros to allow them to ride themselves. Blair's eyes widened as she saw him hand the man the money as it was the equivalent of seven hundred US dollars, but he didn't even flinch.

Chuck was nearly in tears when they stepped off the elevator, his breath catching as they were able to take in the view of Paris. He tried to decide when he ad become so emotional. . . when he had finally allowed himself to love Blair he concluded. She saw the moisture in his eyes and pulled him into her arms to kiss him.

"Blair," he gasped as he pulled away breathlessly. She smiled warmly as she pulled him towards the rail's edge so they could have an uninhibited view of the city. As she leaned up against the railing, he came behind her, putting his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, his chin resting on her bare shoulder.

"So, what do you think of your first time?" she whispered after many minutes of complete silence.

"I wish that my other first time had been this magical," he whispered into her ear. A shiver of passion flew through her body as she turned in his embrace to kiss him, their bodies molding into each other.

"I love you, Blair," Chuck stated as he pulled away just a fraction of an inch, "I'm glad I waited to share this with you. It wouldn't have been as wonderful with someone else."

"Chuck," she whimpered into his lips as he recaptured hers for another soulful kiss. She have never felt as much passion and love as she did in that moment. She prayed with all her might that this feeling would last for the rest of her life. She knew the memory would. It would be impossible to ever forget this moment.

The chirping of Chuck's phone interrupted them. He groaned as he pulled his phone from his pocket while trying to keep Blair close with his other hand. It was a text message from Nate. He was texting to confirm that Chuck was going to meet him.

Chuck pulled away from Blair reluctantly and texted his response. "We have to leave," Chuck announced as he told Nate that he would be at their designated meeting spot in thirty minutes. Blair nodded as he extended his hand to her, kissing it gently as they walked back to the elevator. He paid the same elevator attendant another five hundred euros to have a private ride down. Blair chuckled softly at the realization that she would have to get used to this. He didn't hesitate to throw money around whenever he wanted to get his way.

* * *

"Whatever happens, Blair," Chuck began as they slowly approached Nate. He was turned away so that he hadn't yet seen them. "Know that I love you."

"I love you too," Blair responded as she gave his adjoined hand a reassuring squeeze.

"And I will not let Nathaniel stand in the way of us being together," he needed to add.

"I know," she nodded as their eyes locked, "I feel the same way."

Nate turned at that moment and saw them approach. Confusion was evident in his eyes, but there was no anger or hate in them. Chuck took that as a promising sign.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised," Nate stated as he approached the pair, motioning towards their adjoining hands.

"We don't want to hurt you, Nathaniel," Chuck began, "But I can't fight this anymore. My feelings for Blair have only gotten stronger since I first told you I loved her."

"I take it you finally told her," Nate chuckled softly in awkward amusement.

"Yes," Blair nodded softly.

"Is this what you want, Blair?" Nate asked as he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Very much," she nodded.

A glimmer of sadness appeared in his eyes as he saw the look of complete assurance in hers. There was not one ounce of regret or hesitation in them. Nate knew instantly that he had to do the honorable thing and let Chuck have his shot. For as much as he loved Blair, she wasn't his anymore. . . she hadn't been since he messed it up by sleeping with her best friend.

Chuck was an important part of him. The past year in their relationship had killed him. With all of the awful things that were happening with his family, his father going to prison, the money being tied up by the federal government, the crap with his grandfather . . . losing the childhood relationship that he had with Chuck was the hardest. They were brothers in every way that mattered to him.

"Okay," he nodded.

Chuck and Blair looked at each other in surprise.

"We didn't expect you to be so calm about this," Chuck admitted, "We thought there would be a lot of yelling and name calling and punches thrown."

"I've had my chance," Nate rationalized. The trio didn't know if he was speaking to them or to himself but he continued, looking directly at Blair. "I've had two chances actually, and both times I couldn't make you happy. Chuck, it you can do it, you're a better man than I am. I have to accept that."

Chuck was suddenly speechless. He had never in his life considered himself to be a better man than his best friend, certainly not at this moment where he was essentially stealing his best friend's girlfriend. Then Nate did the one thing that Chuck didn't expect, he hugged him. Chuck froze in his friend's arms.

Blair broke the ice when she began giggling. It was a silly schoolgirl giggle that none of them had heard since their elementary school days together. Chuck and Nate looked at each other their lips curled up slightly in amusement and then broke out laughing. Soon both Chuck and Nate were doubled over, laughing so hard it hurt. Chuck stood to hug her, pulling her to him without hesitation as he picked her up off her feet and began swinging her around. They both knew that they had more hurdles to jump, but this was the most important one. Nate was an important part of both their lives, and he had given them his approval.

**TBC. . .**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Good morning, Sweetheart," Blair's father greeted her when she stumbled into the sunroom around ten.

"Morning, Daddy," she yawned.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked as she kissed his cheek before she took a seat next to him.

"Not really," she responded with a shake of her head, "I got cold in the middle of the night."

"And I suppose you didn't have anyone to warm you," he smirked.

"It sounds weird, doesn't it," she nodded, "We've been together for less than two weeks, but already I'm so used to sleeping next to him that I can't sleep well without him."

"It's not weird," her father assured him, "It's completely natural. I know that when Roman and I are separated for an evening or longer, I don't sleep well."

Chuck and Blair had arrived at her father's vineyard the previous night after spending the day with Nate in Paris. After their initial awkward conversation, all the past pain and anger seemed to melt away, and they had a nice day in Paris together. Nate even treated them to dinner in one of the Eiffel Tower's restaurants, of course he had to fight Chuck for the bill. Like Blair, Nate was floored that Chuck had never been to the tower until earlier that day.

Upon saying their goodbyes to Nate, Blair and Chuck set out for her father's vineyard, surprising both her father and Roman by showing up completely unannounced. Both Roman and her father welcomed them with open arms. Like Nate, her father had been very accepting of Chuck and Blair's announcement that they were a couple.

Like Blair cautioned Chuck, her father did make them sleep in separate bedrooms. Chuck frowned as Roman showed him to his room, which was on the complete other side of their villa and would be nearly impossible to navigate in the dark without knocking over expensive and rare décor items. And he wasn't willing to risk getting on Harold's bad side.

"Is Chuck up yet?" Blair inquired as her father's housekeeper set her breakfast down in front of her.

"He's been up for hours," her father nodded, "Roman is showing him around the vineyard."

Blair's jaw dropped at the revelation that Chuck had been up for hours. "Are you sure we're talking about the same Chuck?" she asked playfully.

"He didn't sleep well either," Harold stated, "He said he heard Roman and I get up and decided it wasn't worth trying to sleep anymore."

"Poor Chuck," she pouted, "Could you reconsider the sleeping arrangements? Chuck still has trust issues and separation anxiety."

Harold didn't respond. He'd already had the discussion with Roman twice since his daughter arrived, once the previous night before they went to bed, and then again that morning. She was still his little girl, and as long as she was under his roof, there would be not male guests in her bed. He didn't care how old fashion or ridiculous Roman told him he was being.

"I'm going to go get dressed and then look for Chuck," she announced as she stood from the table after taking only a few bites of her breakfast. Her father noticeably frowned as she left the room. She was so much like her mother when she didn't get her way. He came to the startling conclusion that there was a man in his daughter's life that was more important to her than he was. Nate had never been that for her. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming all in the same moment.

"Morning Waldorf," Chuck chuckled lightly as she flew into his arms moments after he entered her father's home after a lovely tour of the vineyard. Her flurry had nearly sent him backwards into the glass table in the entryway. Fortunately Roman was behind him and actually braced him for impact.

"I missed you," she stated before she kissed him soundly on the mouth. She didn't care that Roman was right behind Chuck or that her father was in the next room. She needed to feel him, feel the flames that only he could ignite.

"Charles, why don't you go show Blair the newest addition to the vineyard that I showed you this morning," Roman announced loud enough for Harold to hear. Chuck looked at Roman in confusion, not understanding Roman's intentions. "The new storage unit," he whispered softly. Chuck's eyes widened in amusement as he nodded his head and took Blair's hand.

"What is so special about this?" Blair asked as Chuck pulled her into the building Roman had suggested Chuck show her, "This isn't a recent addition. This building has been here since my father has been. All that is in here are cedar barrels full of grape juice that is fermenting."

"Exactly," Chuck responded as he pulled her into his arms, "It's just you and me and a lot of barrels, no overprotective fathers to keep me away from you."

"Chuck," she moaned as he began exploring her neck with his lips before settling on her weak spot that always drew her passionate cry. There were very few other sounds that could turn him on more than that one.

"Not so loud, Waldorf," he chuckled lightly into her soft skin as he hands began roaming her body, "We don't want your father interrupting us now, do we?"

"Definitely not," she responded as she pulled his lips to hers and kissed him hard. She didn't care that her father would figure out what they had been doing by the swollenness of their lips. All she cared about at that moment was that she was with Chuck.

"There was one thing in this building that did catch my attention during my tour," Chuck stated as he pulled away enough to get the words out. Blair was too lost in the sensations to hear him, so he pulled away completely.

"Chuck!" she gasped as she tried to pull him back to her.

"You weren't listening to me," he insisted as he kept back.

"I'll listen to whatever you say as long as you put your arms around me again," she insisted as she reached for his hands.

"I was saying that there was one thing in this building that caught my attention," he laughed softly as his arms went around her waist as he pulled her closer to him, the evidence of his need for her becoming painfully apparent.

"And what was that?" she teased as she ground herself against him seductively which extracted a colorful stream of curse words from his lips.

"Jesus, Blair, don't do that," he groaned as his eyes began to darken as his need for her increased, "I'm close enough to coming undone as it is that it's almost embarrassing for someone with my reputation."

Blair smirked, "And I love your reputation. It makes moments like this all the more enjoyable for me. The womanizing Chuck Bass coming apart with very little effort on my part."

"As I was saying," he coughed to cover up another groan that was threatening to escape. If she really knew how much control she had over him at that moment, it could be dangerous, "My wandering eyes found a very cozy little room that Roman happened to mentioned was used as a bedroom by the previous owner before the main home was built twenty years ago. While doing renovations, your father had it converted into an office that isn't ever used. It has a very plush looking sofa that we should test out."

"I love how your mind works," she responded as he nudged her gently towards the open door of the office, "Always on one thing."

"You," he finished for her, "Always on you."

"I was going to say sex, but your answer is much more romantic," she teased as her arms wrapped around his neck as he lowered her to the sofa.

"It's not sex, Blair," he whispered seductively into her ear as he covered her with his body, "It never has been with you. I've only ever made love to you. To call it anything else would be to cheapen it. Even the first time in the back of my limo, I was repressing my feelings, but we both know it was different than any other encounters I've ever had with the opposite sex."

"For starters, it was more than one night," she teased.

"That was my first clue, yes," he laughed lightly as he began kissing and nibbling a path from her earlobe down to her collarbone, "The fact that one night wasn't nearly enough, and now one more night is never enough. I want you all the time, day and night, wherever and whenever I can have you. If it means sneaking out late at night to this very room so that we can be together I'm willing to do it. I just need to locate a flashlight first. There are too many valuable pieces of art between me and the door."

Blair began shaking with the laughter that overtook her, which sent wonderful ripples of pleasure coursing through his body.

"I need you right now, Waldorf," he growled as he grounded his hips into hers. He cursed inwardly at the realization that they were both still fully clothed. A loud moan escaped her lips as his arousal pressed more firmly against her. The clothes needed to start coming off in a hurry, or he was going to embarrass himself.

"I'm yours, Bass," she whispered as the clothes began landing in random locations throughout the office, "I always will be."

"Promise," he whispered as they joined together. Their eyes locked as their hand entwined just as their bodies had. They both realized in that moment what he was really asking for, a real commitment . . . even possibly a life long commitment.

"I promise," she responded without hesitation. He gave her his devastatingly handsome grin as he proceeded to make love you her. There was something different in the way his hands and lips roamed her body in her father's office. She couldn't explain the subtle difference, but she knew in that moment that she never wanted it to end.

**TBC . . .**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Come on, Blair, do I really have to be the one to do this?" Eric whined yet again as Blair dragged him into another store. They had been shopping for hours and Eric was beyond irritated. She had told him it was going to be a quick shopping trip that she needed him for an opinion but had turned into a marathon.

"Yes, with Serena on one of her European adventures, you are the closest thing that I have to a girlfriend right now," Blair snapped. She was getting really sick of Eric's attitude. He'd been grumpy since she showed up at his mother's apartment.

"What about those minions you kept around you," Eric groaned, "Isn't this something they should be doing? You had to keep them around for some reason."

"They were so high school, and thankfully, high school is over," Blair sighed cheerfully, "And I would never trust them with anything that was this important."

"Didn't they help you pick out Nate's sweater?" Eric tried to recall.

"And you see how well that turned out," Blair rolled her eyes, "I promise this will be the last store we try. If I don't find something that I like, I'll learn to knit and make the sweater myself."

"I almost hope that we don't find this sweater," Eric chuckled, "That would be quite a sight. Blair Waldorf turning domestic."

They began browsing though the plentiful offerings the store had in stock, but nothing felt right for Chuck, and what was worse was the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that there wasn't a sweater out there that would be.

"Tell me again why we are doing this," Eric pleaded as he saw the frustration building in her eyes.

"This is important to Chuck," she stated, "I gave this heart pin to Nate after I first told him I love him. Chuck knows what that meant. I need to do this for him, to show him how much more I love him."

"Don't you think the three and a half weeks that you've spent together has already shown that," Eric replied. It sure had shown him, or rather the noises coming from Chuck's bedroom had told him. How he wished that Chuck would relocate them to the suite at the Palace once more. What his mother was thinking by insisting that he stay at penthouse was beyond him.

"This is important," she repeated.

"But giving him this pin . . . it's boring, it's tired, it's . . . been done," Eric stated, "It's like you're recycling gifts. You should give him something that says that your love for him is different than your love for Nate."

Blair froze. That's what had been bugging her. Eric had managed to put a voice to her thoughts. "You're right," she stated finally after a few moments of contemplative silence, "You're absolutely right. That's why this has been so hard, but what do I do? Chuck is expecting this . . . wanting this."

"Do you really think he wants a recycled gift?" Eric theorized, "Or perhaps he just wants to know that you love him like you loved Nate. After all, he did live in the shadow of the two of you for a long time. That had to have been hard for him."

"Eric van der Woodsen, I could kiss you right now," Blair squealed as a thought occurred to her as she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the store.

"I'll settle for you letting me go," Eric stated as her grip tightened as she made a quick left into the nearest jewelry store they found.

"Can I help you, Miss?" the elder man stated as Blair smiled eagerly at him.

"Yes," Blair replied as she eagerly set the heart shaped pin down on his counter, "I need to know what I can do with this."

The man looked at her in confusion as did Eric.

"I want to turn this pin into something else, something more special," Blair explained, ". . . for my boyfriend."

"And what would you like," the older man asked turning to Eric.

"Oh no, not me," Eric responded quickly as he held up his hands in surrender, "Even if she was my type, which she definitely isn't, she would eat me alive. I'm just along for moral support and because I can't get away from her."

Blair smacked his shoulder lightly as she rolled her eyes.

"Well, perhaps if you described your boyfriend, this would help me determine what he might wear," the salesman requested.

"He's Chuck Bass," Eric quipped, "Son of Bart Bass, the deceased founder of Bass Industries."

"OH!" the man's eyes widened in surprise. Clearly the man had heard of Chuck and was very surprised by the revelation that he had a girlfriend.

"Blair, are you sure about this?" Eric asked as he eyed the pin in Blair's hand, "Chuck doesn't really seem like the type to enjoy jewelry, accessories yes, jewelry no. Couldn't you just sew the pin to a bowtie or something."

"I think this option is much better than the one I had earlier. Besides, you were right, Chuck isn't really a sweater type of guy," Blair stated before she turned towards the man once more, "I was thinking something simple, like a gold bracelet."

"Blair, what I'm going to say is going to be a little harsh so I want you to prepare yourself," Eric interrupted her as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath as she waited for him to continue. "If you think Chuck Bass is going to wear a freaken charm bracelet then you have lost your mind."

"I would never ask Chuck to wear a charm bracelet," Blair scoffed.

"Then what the hell are you talking about?" Eric exclaimed.

"Could this heart be worked into the bracelet somehow, like part of the clasp or something?" Blair inquired. Eric was taken aback by her creativeness.

"That could work," the jeweler stated as he inspected the pin Blair was still holding, "We'll have to alter this slightly to make it work. Is that a problem?"

"No," Blair shook her head, "As long as the heart is still evident."

"Let's look at what we have for options," the jeweler stated as he walked Blair to another counter and began pulling out various options, "How much are you looking to spend?"

"Money is no object," Blair responded quickly. Again the man looked at her in surprise. Clearly he was not used to teenagers saying that to him, but this was not one of the regularly shopped stores on the Upper East Side.

After spending another torturous hour at the store, Blair had made her selection and handed over the pin to be incorporated into the bracelet. Blair was beaming from ear to ear as they left the store. It would be ready by the end of the week, which meant that it would be in time for their one-month anniversary. She couldn't wait to see Chuck's face.

"Are we done now?" Eric asked hopefully as he held the store door for her as she exited.

"Yes, Little E, you are free, unless you'd like to accompany me to the lingerie store to pick out something for my anniversary dinner with Chuck," she replied all while struggling to keep a straight face.

"You'll have to call your minions for that one," Eric asked as he began walking in the opposite direction of Blair as fast as he could without running. She began laughing as soon as he was out of earshot. Torturing Eric had just been the icing on the cake of the productive day of shopping.

* * *

"Waiting to see you today was absolute torture," Chuck groaned as he pulled Blair into his arms upon meeting at his Palace suite. They had discussed early that morning the need to relocate their nights together for the sake of Eric. The bags under his step-brother's eyes caused by sleep deprivation were becoming more evident with each passing night that they were spending there, and Chuck knew that he and Blair were the reason behind it. They'd never be able to quiet themselves, so they concluded that the suite was the best place for them, for everyone's sanity.

He had spent the day at Bass Industries learning the ropes. He had told Lily during one of their family dinners that were becoming increasingly more common since his relationship with Blair began that he'd like to start the transition of powers of Bass Industries. Lily had been so excited by his interest that she had arranged for him to start the very next day.

"How was your day at the office, Dear?" she teased as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him impossibly close.

"Not nearly as incredible as our night together will be," he whispered into her ear.

"Did I ever tell you what a turn on CEOs of multi-national companies are?" she responded playfully.

"I'm not taking over just yet," he stated as he nibbled on her delicate earlobe, "We're still a few months away from that, but I actually did enjoy the day."

"You sound surprised," she stated as she pulled away from him slightly to look in his eyes.

"That's because I am," he admitted, "I always thought my father's job was boring, but there is a lot about his work that I didn't understand. In a way, I guess I understand him better than I ever did before. I get why he always seemed to be preoccupied."

"Are we still on for dinner Friday night?" she inquired.

"Absolutely," he groaned as he pulled her closer to him, "I'm not letting such a monumental day as our one month anniversary pass us by without a lot of fanfare."

She smiled at him brightly.

"Blair, I want you to promise me something," he stated as he voice turned serious as he pulled her impossibly closer. She looked at him in anticipation. "My father was always distracted while running the empire. Soon that job will fall to me. I don't want to become so consumed by my job that I forget about what is most important to me."

"And you want me to promise what?" she inquired.

"I want you to promise me that if I ever start to neglect or ignore you that you'll call me on it, and I don't want you to spare my feelings when you do it. Do whatever it takes to get my attention. If you have to scream at me in front of the Board of Directors or slap me across the face, do it," he insisted.

"Are you telling me that I'm the thing that is most important to you?" she pressed. She wasn't sure that she was hearing him right, for it just didn't seem possible.

"Of course," he responded.

"Once upon a time there were only three things that you cared about and only one of them was an actual person: money, the pleasures money brought you, and Nate," she stated.

"That list has grown exponentially," he assured her, "But you are at the top of it."

"So are you going to tell me where we're going for our anniversary?" she teased as she tried to sucker it out of him by nuzzling his neck.

Chuck had told her that he was planning something special for their anniversary and that he wanted it to be a surprise. Naturally, she had tried to pry the information out of him every chance she got. He saw right through her latest ploy and called her on it, "It's not going to work, Waldorf."

"Please," she whispered seductively in his ear. A lustful moan escaped from deep within his throat clouding his brain, but the information that she so desperately sought would remain safely tucked away.

"Forget it, Waldorf," he stated as he summoned the last ounce of restraint he had as he captured her wrists from behind his neck, unlocked them and freed himself from her clutches. She was good at the game, too good, but this was important to him.

He'd never been one for romantic gestures, but from years of watching his best friend disappoint her over and over again with his lack of romantic overtures, he was determined to succeed where Nathaniel failed. The ghost of Blair and Nate's relationship would continue to haunt him until he was absolutely sure that he was what she really wanted. He wasn't sure when or how the ghosts would disappear but it wasn't any time soon.

"I can live with that right now," Blair stated as she slid his suit coat off his shoulders and let it fall to the ground as she began to work the buttons of his crisp dress shirt as he slid his necktie over his head. Her eyes had become clouded with passion. He was becoming more familiar with that look with each passing day, but his reaction to it was as uncontrolled as always. He pulled her towards him roughly as his hands began divesting her of the offending clothes.

"You have no idea how out of control I get when I'm around you like this," Chuck hissed as he lifted her effortlessly in his arms and carried her the few steps required to make it to his bed.

"By all means, don't fight it," she cooed as she pulled him with her onto the bed, rolling him over so that she was straddling him so that she could continue to undress him. He was extremely overdressed at the moment considering she was only wearing a brand new black silk negligee that she had bought that afternoon and he was still in his dress shirt and pants.

"Is this new?" he inquired as he ran his hands over the silk hem.

"Only you would notice that," she chuckled as his shirt finally came free and found its way to the growing pile of clothes on his bedroom floor.

"I think we've managed to ruin virtually every other undergarment you own, Waldorf," he teased, "They tend to get in the way at the most inopportune moments."

"That's why I went lingerie shopping today," she purred, "I had to restock. I wish you would have been there to offer your opinion. I could have used an objective eye as I was trying things on."

"I'll never be objective when it comes to you," he assured her, "To me, you'll look just as beautiful in a potato sack as you do in this scrap of silk."

"This isn't a scrap of silk," she pouted, sticking her lip out like that of a child.

"It will be by the end of the night," he assured her with a devilish grin as he flipped them over so that he was once again in control. She appeared to be in a playful mood this evening, and he couldn't handle that at the moment. He needed her, as badly as he ever had.

**TBC. . . **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Blair, I cannot believe that you didn't tell me!" Serena shrieked into her phone. She sounded genuinely hurt upon finding out that Blair and Chuck had been together as a couple for a month, and she was only finding out now because of the Gossip Girl blast that had finally come out. Both Chuck and Blair had mentioned that the summer sure had slowed Gossip Girl down. This information should have come out weeks ago.

"You've been busy," Blair rationalized as she sifted through her clothes to try and determine what to wear to dinner with Chuck that evening, "I didn't want to distract you from your never ending quest to locate your father. I know how important it is to you."

"You're important to me too, B," Serena responded, "And Chuck is important to you. I should have been the first call you made."

"I know," Blair sighed, "But if I told you that meant that it was real. It sounds stupid, I know because Nate knows and my father knows, and your mom, Eric, and Rufus Humphrey know, but that's it. If I told you then it was really happening, and I would be setting myself up for all of the pain and hurt that this could cause me if it doesn't work."

"Well, now everyone knows," Serena groaned, "All those times that we talked over the last month, you were with him, and you never told me. I'm your best friend."

"I'm sorry," Blair responded as tears began to well up in her eyes, "S, you're right. I should have told you."

"So how is it going?" Serena caved. She had already forgiven Blair before she dialed her phone number.

"Oh my god!" Blair squealed, her previous regret instantly gone, "I have never been so happy in all my life!"

"That good huh," Serena laughed.

"Who knew he could be such a good boyfriend," Blair laughed with her best friend, "We have spent every night together since his confession, and each one is better than the last. And when he smiles . . . which is a real smile like I've never seen, it causes me to melt into a puddle. And the sex is like nothing else."

"We can skip that detail," Serena cringed.

"I thought you wanted details," Blair replied.

"Not that detail," Serena explained quickly, "He is still Chuck Bass after all, and the thought of the two of you together like that still turns my stomach just a little bit."

"You'll have to get over it," Blair laughed as she rolled her eyes, "Because this is the best month I've ever had. S, he's planning this romantic dinner for me tonight for our anniversary. He won't tell me where we're going or what we're doing."

"And I bet that is driving you insane," Serena chuckled. Her best friend hated surprises, even the romantic kind.

"I've tried everything I can think of to get it out of him, and nothing is working," Blair whined, "He is so stubborn."

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? I think you've finally met your match, B," Serena responded as she laughed even harder.

"In more ways than one," Blair laughed with her friend, "Seriously, S, this month has flown by. I don't want this to ever end."

"I'm so happy for you, Blair," Serena responded sincerely, "You both deserve it."

"I'd love to talk longer. I mean we haven't even discussed how things are going with you, but I have to finish getting ready. Chuck is supposed to be picking me up in thirty minutes, and I haven't even decided what to wear yet," Blair explained as she looked at the clock and began freaking out again.

"Wear that black Valentino dress that you wore to your seventeenth birthday party," Serena suggested, "Chuck loved taking that off of you at the end of the night."

"Very funny," Blair responded sarcastically.

"I love you, B," Serena responded.

"Love you, S," Blair replied as she closed her phone and began throwing clothes around the room in her haste.

"Waldorf, aren't you ready yet?" Chuck spoke up from the doorframe of her room where he was standing.

"How long have you been standing there?" she inquired as she whirled around to see him standing in a tuxedo with a flower corsage in his hand.

"Long enough to determine you are nowhere close to being ready for our evening," he replied as he stepped into her room and gathered her into his arms to kiss her. In truth, he had heard her entire conversation with Serena, and it brought a smile to his face to hear her tell her best friend that she was the happiest she had ever been.

"Apparently, what I was planning on wearing would leave me a little underdressed," she replied as she pulled away to admire the sight of him in his formalwear. Chuck always wore suits, but there was something special about him in a tuxedo that turned her on more than she usually was in his presence.

"You could wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt tonight and you wouldn't be underdressed," he assured her.

"I don't own sweatpants or sweatshirts," she replied as she playfully tapped his shoulder. He chuckled as he nodded his head to let her know that he already knew that. There was that smile that melted her heart again. "Will you help me decide what to wear?" she asked as she began to sway back and forth sweetly. He nodded his head again and turned to walk into her massive closet and immediately pulled out the prom dress that she had worn a little over a month earlier.

"Really," she replied as she accepted the dress from him.

"Please," he requested as he kissed her cheek.

"Should I wear the crown you arranged for me to win?" she teased as she slipped out of her robe and began to slide into the dress. She had expected Chuck to fight her upon seeing the undergarments she was wearing, but he kept his hands to himself, although she could see him fighting an internal battle to do so.

Once the dress was on, she turned to allow him to zip up the back. His hands lingering on the bare skin of her back longer than he knew he should have, but finally he succeeded in sliding the zipper up her dress. She was smirking as she turned around to face him. She had felt the zipper lower a few times as his internal struggle continued.

"One last thing," Chuck replied as he held out the golden yellow rose corsage he had brought with him. She held out her wrist and allowed him to slide it on. "You're perfect," he whispered softly as he took a step back to admire the vision before him.

"You did all of that for me on prom, didn't you," she realized, "The dress, the coronation, the limo, everything. It wasn't to sabotage me. It was to ensure that I had the fairytale prom of my dreams."

He nodded his head as he extended his hand to her. "I would never sabotage you, Blair. I wanted you to have the perfect prom night like you had always wanted."

"Only one thing would have made it better," she stated as she accepted his hand and allowed him to lead her out of the closet and into the bedroom once more, "It should have been you as my escort."

"Are you ready?" he inquired.

"I just need to decide what purse to take," she replied.

"It's won't be necessary," he assured her, "I have thought of everything."

"I'm sure you have," she smiled as she linked her arm with his. She took a deep breath as she prepared herself to be swept away by the night he had planned.

**TBC. . .**

I'm sorry to end it right there. I usually hate when people end chapters at inappropriate times, but I wanted to give Chuck's plan the thought and attention that it deserves.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Do you remember when we were kids and you, Serena, Nate, and I used to pretend that we were grownups going to some elegant ball on those frequent evenings that our parents left us for the evening?" Chuck inquired as his limo stopped in front of their destination. He had kept Blair successfully distracted during their ride so that she couldn't possibly know where they were.

Blair chuckled at the memory as she nodded, "Serena always had to be Nate's date because she was afraid you'd give her cooties."

"I told her I had cooties on purpose," he confessed, "I wanted to be your date."

"I should have known," she smirked with a roll of her eyes.

"Do you remember where you always wanted the ball to be held?" he inquired.

"The Waldorf-Astoria hotel, of course," she smiled.

The door suddenly opened and they were in front of the familiar looking building.

"Chuck!" she gasped as he stepped out of the limo and then turned to help her out. "I can't believe you remembered."

"I remember everything," he assured her as he kissed her cheek softly. A blush crept up her neck to her cheeks as he led her into the hotel and towards the ballroom he had reserved for them.

Once in the ballroom they were escorted to their seats by their hostess for the evening and the orchestra began playing. Words were impossible to express how amazed she was by the attention to detail.

"You rented out this entire ballroom for just the two of us," Blair marveled as the first course of their dinner was promptly served.

"You sound surprised," he laughed quietly, "You do know who you're dating, right?"

"I could never forget," she assured him as she reached across the table and took his hand.

"Thank you for the most amazing month," Chuck responded, his eyes echoing the sincerity in his voice, "It's no secret that I fear commitment . . . for a lot of reasons, but you have pushed all those reasons aside. I don't know how you've managed to do it, but you've completely changed me."

"We've changed each other," she responded as he kissed her hand, "In the best ways possible, and not just after we finally stopped denying what we both so desperately wanted."

"Desperate, huh," he smirked, "Was it really that bad?"

"Yes," she groaned, "For crying out loud, I slept with Baizen because of you."

"That wasn't because of me. That was because of Yale," he clarified.

"It was partly because of you," she amended, "I think if we had been together before all of that, I would have handled everything so differently."

"For starters you wouldn't have gotten caught hazing the teacher," he smirked, "I never would have let that happen."

"Are you going to throw every heinous thing that I did this past year in my face?" she snapped, "You were no saint, you know."

"I never claimed to be," he chuckled. He had gotten under her skin again and her attack mode was kicking in.

"Good, because need I remind you of those floozies I caught you with at Bass Industries," she shot back.

"Is that the worst you've got?" he challenged her.

"Well some of us don't have private investigators at our disposal," she responded, her voice dripping in sarcasm, "For all I know you killed someone during your drug induced trip to Thailand."

"That's a low blow, Waldorf," he stated as he averted his eyes so that she wouldn't see the pain her remark had caused him.

"Chuck," she gasped as she stood up from her chair quickly and went to him, bringing his gaze back to her. The tears that pooled in his eyes broke her heart. "I'm so sorry."

"I know," he whispered as she caressed his cheek softly.

"I know how hard that time was for you . . . how hard your father's death still is for you. Of all people, I should know better," she replied as she began raining kissed from his forehead to his eyelids to his cheeks, and then finally capturing his lips. Chuck rose from his chair quickly and swept her into his arms, kissing her with as much passion as he ever had. "I'm so sorry," She mumbled into his lips.

"Stop," he whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers. He'd forgiven her already. "Stop apologizing. We both push each other's buttons. We always have. It's what makes us who we are."

"But there are limits," she sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder as he began swaying her to the orchestral music playing as he took her hand in his to lead her around the dance floor, "And I crossed them."

"Then I forgive you for it," he assured her as he kissed her forehead.

"We're not going to have a normal relationship, are we?" she concluded.

"We're never going to be the couple who make it through more than a few weeks without an argument. If we do, then we're doing something wrong. It's a miracle that we've lasted this long without a fight," he replied.

"I think this is what they call the honeymoon phase," she replied. She felt him freeze in her arms which brought a smirk to her lips. "Relax, Bass, I'm not looking for a death do us part commitment here."

"Honeymoon phase," he repeated, his voice catching on the first word.

"It's a figure of speech," she chuckled as she saw the look of pure terror in his eyes, "I know better than to expect more of a commitment from you than what I currently have."

"And I am committed to you," he responded quickly, "But marriage. . ."

"Freaks you out, I know," she assured him, "In truth it does for me as well. Neither one of us had the best role models. My parents spent almost twenty years together with both my father and mother denying who he really was. You had Bart Bass. He went through relationships like most people go through socks."

"He would have been different if my mother had lived," he stated as his eyes began to tear. "He did commit to her one hundred percent. I can do that for you. . . I think."

"One step at a time," she smirked, "Let's just play out the honeymoon phase for all it's worth and then go from there."

"No arguments here," he returned her grin, "This past month has been phenomenal. We all know my stamina, but never in a million years did I think I'd find someone that can keep up with me."

She threw her head back and began laughing. "I never thought I'd be able to keep up with the legendary Chuck Bass libido, but you do things to me that I cannot put into words."

"And you do the same to me," he replied as he kissed her neck which was still exposed, "I've never felt the things I feel when I make love to you."

"Perhaps because it was only sex before me," she offered.

"Whatever it is, I'm not fighting it," he replied, "Let's finish our dinner. We can dance later."

"Are we really here to dance?" she inquired as he led her back to her seat.

"I'm giving you the fairytale ball," he replied, "If you want to dance, we'll dance."

"And if I'm done living out the fairytale?" she pressed.

"Then we move to the next part of the evening," he stated as two silver platters were placed in front of them, "But we should eat first. You'll need your strength for later."

She shook her lead in amusement, "You still have a one track mind."

Chuck tried to play innocent, but he failed miserably. She knew him too well and saw through it immediately.

* * *

"Are you certain that you're finished with the dancing for the evening?" Chuck asked as he led her from the grand room, "We have the ballroom for as long as we want."

"I'm sure," she replied. In truth, she had a hard time finishing dinner. The romantic evening, complete with her favorite meal, was taking its toll on her. All she wanted to do at that moment was go back to Chuck's Palace suite and spend the night in his arms, but apparently he had other ideas because instead of guiding her to his limo he ushered her into one of the hotel elevators.

"You didn't think I'd bring you all the way to the Waldorf-Astoria just to have dinner and dance for a little while," he chuckled lightly as their elevator rose. His arm came around her waist to pull her closer to him.

"Are you saying that we're spending the night?" she realized. He nodded as the doors opened. She gasped when she realized that they were entering the Royal Suite, the one reserved for visiting royalty. Princess Diana had stayed in this room once upon a time.

"I take it you like our accommodations," he stated as he nudged her gently into the room. She was still frozen at the doorway.

"How did you do this?" she gasped, finally able to verbalize a thought after several moments of complete silence.

"I own the Palace," he replied, "You don't think that I don't have some pull with other luxurious hotels in New York City, do you?"

She quickly spun towards him and rushed into his arms. "I love you, Bass."

"I love you, too, Waldorf," he responded as he looked her deep in the eyes. All of his emotions were open to her, the slight fear at how vulnerable he felt at finally opening himself up to someone, the pure joy that came with knowing that she loved him in return, the promise that this relationship would continue well after this evening. They would have many more anniversaries; they both knew that. "Happy Anniversary."

That phrase sent her into panic mode. "Chuck, I forgot your present in my bedroom!" she exclaimed, "We need to send your driver to get it."

"You haven't forgotten anything," he assured her as he spun her towards the bedroom while held two beautifully wrapped presents, one that she had spent an hour wrapping, and another that had been wrapped by a professional.

"How did this get here?" she inquired as she picked up her gift to him and studied it.

"I told Dorota to give it to my driver when I picked you up for the evening. My driver gave it to the concierge," he explained, "I told you I thought of everything. There is even a change of clothes for tomorrow morning, so that you don't need to wear this ball gown home, compliments of Dorota."

"And if I need a few moments to freshen up?" she tested him.

"Everything you could possibly need is waiting for you in the bathroom, other than me of course," he assured her.

"Can I have a few moments?" she asked as she motioned towards the open bathroom door.

He nodded before she disappeared. Once the door was closed it sent him into overdrive as he began pulling out candles from various drawers around the room and lighting them. As he went, his tuxedo jacket and bowtie were discarded and the buttons to his dress shirt had become undone. He was lighting the last of the candles when the bathroom door opened. When she came out, she was no longer wearing her ball gown. She had exchanged the gown for a black silk robe with gold trim that Dorota must have packed. How she was able to get out of the zipper at the back of her dress was a mystery to him, but he didn't fight it as she sauntered towards him seductively.

"Are you ready for your present?" she asked as she picked up her package as she past the bed and held it out to him.

"You first," he responded as he held out the slim box wrapped in the Tiffany blue paper.

Never one to be told twice that she could unwrap a gift, she set his gift down and eagerly tore into the beautiful paper. "Chuck, this bracelet is beautiful," she gasped as she pulled out the diamond cluster bracelet that he had given her.

"I was going to go with a necklace, but then I remembered the Erickson Beamon necklace that I gave you over a year ago. I don't repeat gifts if I can remember giving them," he explained as he took the bracelet out of the box and clasped it around her wrist.

"It's beautiful," she repeated as she held her wrist up and admired the way the candlelight reflected off its many stones.

"It pales in comparison to you," he replied as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Ever the charmer," she smirked as she pulled away, "I think I've heard you whisper that to others before me."

"Yes, but with you, I mean it," he grinned devilishly, "I'm not just looking for a quick roll in the hay. . . at least not for another few minutes, and it's never quick with us."

She shook her head in amusement.

"Is it my turn?" he inquired as he bent down to retrieve the gift she had laid at his feet so she could open hers, "I'm in desperate need of a new sweater."

She began laughing at the confused look on his face when he picked up the box to feel that it was as light as a feather. She sobered up quickly so that he couldn't see how proud of herself she felt. She didn't want to ruin the effect of the gift.

"But I thought you took Eric shopping a couple days ago for a sweater," he frowned as he shook the package several times. She had taken great care to ensure that the box was stuffed with enough paper for the gift to not rattle around.

"Is your PI still following me?" she smirked. She was losing her ability to hide her amusement. She wasn't going to last much longer.

"No . . . well, yes, but. . ." he fumbled. He thought she'd be irritated by his confession, but she much have expected his answer because her smirk grew wider.

"You need to pay him a little better," she teased, "I didn't even buy a sweater that day."

Chuck began tearing into the box, bits of paper flying everywhere in his haste. Soon the box was opened, and more paper was flying as he looked for what was inside. She was glad that she had left the bracelet in the jewelry box or it would have ended up on the floor.

He was surprised to find the box at the bottom. He quickly opened it and studied the contents inside. His eyes glanced over the square linked eighteen carat gold bracelet before they finally settled on the clasp and an audible gasp escaped from his lips. "Blair, is this what I think it is?"

"Yes," she nodded with a shy smile, "I know you had your heart set on a sweater, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It didn't seem special enough for you. When I gave the pin to Nate I didn't even know love meant. My heart isn't merely on your sleeve . . . my heart belongs to you."

"And mine belongs to you," he stated as she took the bracelet from him and put it on his extended wrist. Tears fell freely from his eyes, but for the first time in his life he wasn't ashamed of them. "It always has."

She smiled as she brushed the tears off his face.

"This time it's going to be different," she smiled.

"This time it's going to work," he assured her as he took her hand and kissed it gently, "It has to. I don't ever want to experience the pain of this past year ever again. My father's death hurt, but it hurt so much more because I couldn't be with you. I wanted to be, but I knew I couldn't. I knew I was going down, and I couldn't bear to bring you with me. I loved you too much to let that happen."

"I love you too," she replied as he swept her into his arms without any sort of warning. She squealed in surprise which elicited a laugh from him as her arms came around his neck.

"What do you say we give that bed a proper work out," he suggested, "It's probably never seen the type of action that we're going to give it. . . This is the royal suite after all."

"I hope the bed can keep up because we've both discovered I can," she smirked as she began tracing his jaw with her lips as he walked them towards the bed.

"Waldorf, you are going to be the death of me," he groaned as he lowered her softly to the bed as she began lightly biting his neck.

"But what a way to go," she teased.

"What a way indeed," he laughed as she pulled him to the bed.

**TBC…**

Normally, this is where I would end one of my stories, but there is just too much good material left in my head. I'm going to gloss over some of the spoilers that are out there. . . This is my story after all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"You're drinking vodka," Blair stated in surprise as she let herself into his suite. He was sitting on the sofa with a tumbler full of the alcohol. She thought at first he was merely drinking water, but one smell of his breath when she leaned in to kiss him told her otherwise. "You don't drink vodka unless something is really bothering you."

"Very astute observation," he remarked sarcastically as she pulled away from him without following through on the kiss. He was clearly not in the mood. His coat and suit tie had come off already and were slung haphazardly on a chair and his dress shirt had several buttons undone. His eyes looked vacant, like he wasn't really there. "It's only taken you six weeks to figure that out. I'm impressed."

Blair frowned as she plopped herself down on the couch cushion next to him. "What's going on, Bass," she snapped, "It's not me you're upset with. Did something happen at the office?"

Chuck groaned as she brought up the subject that had been bothering since he got home an hour earlier. Naturally it wouldn't take her long to figure it out. Blair could read him like a book, and at the moment it pissed him off.

"Lily happened," he told her. His words came out harsh and annoyed.

"What could Lily have done?" Blair asked in confusion, "She doesn't even go to the office. Doesn't she have someone else running the empire until she thinks you're ready to take over?"

"Not anymore," he snapped.

"Chuck, what aren't you telling me?" she pressed.

"Starting Monday morning, you're looking at the new CEO of Bass Industries," he stated as he took a deep breath when the words hit him like a slap in the face yet again.

"Chuck, this is great news!" she exclaimed as she reached out and hugged him, "This is what you wanted."

"This is what I _thought_ I wanted," he corrected her as he tensed in her embrace, "I was foolish to think it. I don't want any part of this hellish empire. I should just call up dear old Uncle Jack and hand it over."

Blair winced at the sound of his uncle's name. He was a sore subject for both of them for very different reasons. "If you really believed that, you would have made the call already," she stated.

"And give that attempted rapist bastard what he wants, forget it," he bite out harshly.

"What's really going on, Bass," she snapped as she grabbed his chin and forced him to look into her eyes. He couldn't hide from her there. He tried to avert his eyes, to look anywhere else but at the warm, caring gaze she was giving him, but it was no use. One look and the walls he'd spent the better part of an hour building came crumbling down.

"I'm scared," he admitted, the anger in his eyes completely gone but replaced by sheer terror, "I don't know what I'm doing, Blair. I'm going to drive this company into the ground. I'm going to let my father down."

"Chuck," she whispered in reassurance as she hugged him tight. He didn't fight her embrace this time. He craved it . . . he needed it. "You would never let that happen."

"What the hell do I know about running a multi-billion dollar corporation?" he whispered in her ear, "I barely graduated high school."

"You graduated from one of the best prep schools in the world without even trying," she clarified, "Imagine what you could have done if you had tried . . . if you had cared enough to try. You're a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for. You were smart enough to hold on to me, weren't you?"

Chuck laughed softly as a single tear escaped his eye.

"I believe you can do this," Blair assured him as she captured his lips with hers.

"How do you do that?" he inquired with a sigh as he pulled away only so that he could pull her into his lap so that she was closer to him.

"Do what?" she asked as she caressed his chin gently with a finger.

"I've spent the past hour absolutely destroying my self confidence. With a few well chosen words, you make me believe once more that I can move mountains," he explained.

"That's because I already believe you can," she assured him, "I've seen it with my own eyes."

"You're good for my ego, Waldorf," he chuckled as he looked at her in amusement, "I don't know what I would do without you right now."

"Well, we don't have to find out," she replied, "I'm not planning on going anywhere for awhile."

"We should go somewhere for the weekend," he announced suddenly, "I need to get away from the city for a few days to clear my head before I take this plunge."

"Where would you like to go?" she inquired as she let the surprise wash right over her. She was getting used to his impulsiveness, "The Hamptons?"

"I'd rather not," he shook his head, "I really don't want to go anywhere that I might be recognized and forced to talk about business."

"You do know that you're Chuck Bass, future CEO of Bass Industries, one of the most well known companies in the world. You're bound to get recognized wherever we go," she teased.

"Then let's buy me a deserted island and go there," he chuckled.

"Let's fly to Maine for the weekend and stay at some quaint little bed and breakfast," she suggested. She knew better than to humor him with the private island talk. He would definitely do it if he received the slightest bit of encouragement from her.

"I like the bed part," he leered.

"There's the man I fell in love with," she laughed. She was happy to hear that he was returning to himself. "I'll call Lily and see if she knows anyplace that would be worthy of our time."

"Wait," he replied as he caught her hand as she stood to get her phone. He pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket. "I'll just call my assistant."

"What assistant?" Blair inquired, her eyebrow raising in curiosity.

"The one that they hired for me this afternoon," he laughed, "Her name is Eugenia, and she's a very nice lady."

"Nice," she prompted as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, "How nice?"

"You have nothing to be worried about, Waldorf," he chuckled, "She's not my type."

"She's female and breathing," Blair responded sarcastically, "Therefore she's your type."

Chuck laughed at how jealous she sounded at that moment. "Have I ever given you a reason to think that I'd be unfaithful to you?" She continued to scowl at him. "Recently," he added quickly.

She continued to glare at him evilly.

The truth of it was that he had never given her reason to believe he would be unfaithful. When they were first messing around with each other behind everyone's back he was faithful. When they spent their one-week together last year, he was faithful. For the blissful six weeks they'd been together this time, he'd been faithful and intended to remain so.

"Give me a little credit here," he requested, "I'm trying very hard to be the boyfriend that you want me to be. Do you know how many offers I've turned down in the six weeks we've been together?"

"What offers?" she exclaimed in anger.

He gulped nervously. He was making this situation worse every time he opened his mouth. "Blair, you know my reputation better than anyone. You know that easy woman throw themselves at my feet. I try to tell them that I have a girlfriend, but I always get the 'Chuck Bass doesn't do girlfriends' response. Not once have I brought one of those girls back to this suite. Not once have I even been tempted. Why would I do something so stupid? Why would I risk losing what we have?"

"Because you're Chuck Bass," she threw at him.

He hated that his best pickup line was now being thrown back in his face as an insult.

"I'm not that Chuck Bass anymore," he tried to convince her. "You've changed me, remember. We've changed each other. You are the only woman that I want now."

"I need to meet this assistant of yours," she demanded as she took a deep breath to calm herself down, "Let her know where your priorities are."

"Stake your claim, if you must," he teased.

"Mark my territory," she corrected him.

"By all means, mark away," he replied as he opened his arms as if to surrender to her.

"I should give you a hickey for that remark," she eyed him devilishly as she sat in his lap again and bit his neck lightly, "Right here your neck where your suit and tie can't cover. That would be fun to explain to the Board of Directors on your first day."

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" he inquired as she continued kissing his neck, working a path up to his earlobe.

"Forgiven for what?" she inquired as she breathed into his ear. She apparently had already forgotten their most recent argument. If there was one thing that his father taught him it was that if it could get you into trouble for reminding the woman in his life of something he did, said or didn't do, he should keep his mouth shut . . . so he did.

**TBC. . . **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Chuck growled in the mirror as he tried to get his tie to lay right. He'd spent the past five minutes tying and then untying his tie with no success. His hands began to shake as he made another attempt.

"Can I help you with that?" Blair asked as she stumbled into his bathroom dressed in one of his dress shirts buttoned unevenly. She winced as the bright lights hit her eyes as she had woken up only moments earlier.

"I don't know what the hell is wrong with me," he groaned as he let go of the tie to let her give it a go.

"It's just nerves, Bass," she assured him, "It's to be expected. This is a big day for you."

"I'm not ready," he stated, the fear that he had kept contained during their weekend in the New Hampshire bed and breakfast resurface in full force.

"Yes, you are," she nodded as she began to expertly work his tie into the perfect Windsor knot. They'd been having this same conversation all weekend. "Lily has a whole team of advisors that she turned to before she gave you the vote of confidence. She wouldn't turn things over to you if she didn't think you were ready. She wants you to succeed almost as much as I do."

"I'm going to mess this up. I've messed up everything else in my life," he insisted.

"You are not and you haven't," she responded as she tightened his tie roughly around his neck to momentarily cut off his ability to breathe. She didn't want him destroying the confidence that she had worked so hard to instill in him during their brief trip away. "Stop beating yourself up. You're going to do great."

Chuck coughed as she restored the flow of oxygen.

"Are you trying to kill?" he asked as he rubbed his neck. He could see the red outline in the mirror of were the necktie had strangled him, but he knew she hadn't hurt him enough to leave any bruises.

"I'm trying to stop you from over-thinking this," she clarified as she continued to fiddle with his tie, "Perhaps if I cut off a little oxygen, I can slow your thoughts down."

"Or kill off a few brain cells," he amended.

"You've done enough of that with Nate over the years with your herbal fixes," she smirked as she finally released his tie and allowed him to inspect her work.

"Not bad, Waldorf," he admired as he made one minor adjustment so that it was perfectly straight.

"Daddy taught me when I was eight," she shrugged, "Mother was always running late for whatever event they were going to, so I had a lot of time to practice."

"A Waldorf woman, late, I cannot imagine that occurring," he teased.

She slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Thank you for staying with me last night," he replied as he pulled her into his arms, "I wouldn't have been able to get any sleep last night if you hadn't worn me out."

"And I'll be eagerly awaiting your return," she replied as she smoothed out the top of his jacket.

"Have lunch with me today," he requested.

"I think you'll be a little too busy for me today," she shook her head.

"I'm never too busy for you," he clarified, "Remember what I made you promise."

"Yell at you in front of the Board of Directors or slap you silly," she recalled.

"Come," he requested once more as his hands went around her waist to pull her closer to him, "You can meet Eugenia."

"No," she shook her head once more, "I don't want to distract you today."

"Please," he pleaded, "Blair, I'm not one to beg, but you're forcing my hand."

"I'll tentatively agree," she compromised, "But only if I get a call from your assistant saying that it is okay."

"You know I do pay her salary," he laughed, "She'll say whatever I tell her to."

"Want to bet?" she challenged.

He began to laugh in earnest at the cute expression on her face as she tried to put her foot down even though she looked like she was still half asleep.

"I love you, Waldorf," he replied as he captured her lips He didn't give her the chance to respond with her own declaration.

"You'd better get going," Blair stated as she pried herself out of his arms, "You don't want to be late for your first day as CEO. What type of message would that send to Bass Industries?"

"The one that says I have the sexiest woman in my suite that I can't pry myself away from in the morning," he groaned at the loss of her body heat.

"If you behave today, I promise to make it worth your while tonight," she purred seductively in his ear as she went behind him to look at his reflection in the mirror to ensure that his tie was straight and that he looked presentable, "Serena came home this weekend, and we're going shopping today to catch up. I might even stop at that lingerie store that you like."

"Jesus, Blair, are you trying to encourage me to leave for work or take you back to bed and have my way with you?" he cursed.

"If you don't leave right now you don't get your surprise," she whispered.

He quickly grabbed his leather briefcase (a gift from Lily that was waiting in his suite the previous night when he and Blair returned from their bed and breakfast weekend), kissed Blair one last time and then made a beeline for the door before she could do or say something that would alter his plans.

"Love you, Bass," Blair called out to him just before the door closed. She could almost hear him chuckling through the soundproof door.

Her phone chirped moments later to let her know she had a text message. "Love you too, Waldorf – C."

Blair sighed happily as she ordered herself room service and then went about preparing his suite for the evening as she waited for the food to arrive. She had a lot to do before she met with Serena, and if she really was going to meet him for lunch that left less time that she had originally planned.

TBC. . .


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Blair rushed into the coffee shop where she had agreed to meet Serena. "I'm so sorry I'm late," Blair apologized as she hugged her best friend as she sat down and took a sip of the iced coffee Serena had waiting for her.

"God, B, you look incredible!" Serena exclaimed as she looked over her best friend. The happiness that Blair felt came through every pore in her body, "You're glowing!"

"Sweating," Blair amended, "It's so hot in New York City in late July."

"No glowing," Serena corrected her, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were in love."

Blair's face flushed in response. She had no problem hearing the words from Chuck or saying them in return, but it was still uncomfortable for other people to acknowledge them.

"Things with Chuck still going as perfectly as you said two weeks ago?" Serena inquired.

"Between us, yes," Blair nodded, "But he is so freaked out today. He couldn't even get his tie knotted correctly this morning."

"Taking over the empire is a very big responsibility," Serena stated, "He's taking on a lot of responsibility this summer . . . a girlfriend, a multi-billion dollar corporation. Next thing you know, he'll be buying a home."

"He's casually mentioned it," Blair shrugged, "The suite is outgrowing its charm, but enough about me and Chuck. How did it go in Europe? Did you find your father?"

Serena shook her head. "The trail went cold in Venice," Serena responded, "Carter tried everything he could think of, but it wasn't successful."

"I'm sorry," Blair responded as she took a hold of Serena's hand to comfort her.

"I think I'm ready to completely give up," Serena admitted, "My father doesn't want to be found. He doesn't want to be a part of my life. Why should I want to be a part of his?"

"Because he's your dad," Blair offered, "There is always a bond between us and our parental units, no matter how screwed up the relationship is."

"And boy to we have some messed up relationships," Serena responded, "My dad is AWOL, my mom had me thrown in jail for theft of a bracelet she gave to me as a gift, your father lives in France with his boyfriend, and your mom chose her daughter's best friend over her own daughter for a fashion spread in some stupid magazine."

"My father and I have a good relationship," Blair responded defensively, ". . . when he's around."

"Face it, B," Serena began, "We have all the money that we could ever spend, but our parents will never be what we need."

"We'll break the cycle," Blair responded confidently, "We'll be what we need for our children."

"Children, wow, that seems like such a long way off," Serena remarked, "You and Chuck aren't talking about kids yet, are you?"

"We're barely talking about next week," Blair laughed, "To be honest, I haven't thought that far out."

Serena glared at her. She wasn't buying Blair's response. Blair had been planning her life since she was five.

"Okay, I've thought about it in the totally abstract way that all girls think about it when they start relationships, but I'm certainly not going to tell Chuck that," Blair stated, "The man freaked out enough when I mentioned that we were still in our honeymoon phase of our dating."

"Have you talked to Chuck today?" Serena inquired as she took a sip of her cold beverage.

"I met him for lunch," she nodded, "That's why I was so late getting here. Traffic was a nightmare."

"How's his first day going?" Serena asked.

"He has that deer caught in headlights look," Blair responded with an amused twinkle in her eye, "It would be so cute if he wasn't so freaked out by what is going on. Lily's team of advisers aren't going anywhere for a while. They are his safety net, but he's convinced that one day at the helm is going to sink the ship. He's going to do great. Even Wall Street has confidence in him. The stock prices barely dipped since your mom made the announcement last week."

"Stock prices!" Serena exclaimed, "Since when do you follow the stock market?"

"Since my CEO boyfriend became obsessed with them over the weekend. He had an update added to both our cell phones so that we receive text messages of the stock prices every thirty minutes when the market is open," she explained, "It's really annoying actually, but I don't have the heart to tell Chuck that."

"Have you seen his office yet?" Serena inquired.

"Seen his office and met his assistant, Eugenia," Blair nodded.

"Assistant," Serena stated as her eyebrow raised in curiosity, "What is she like?"

"She's really very nice," Blair responded sincerely, "She's in her mid-thirties. She has two boys that are six and four. She showed me pictures of them. They both have bright red hair like their father. They are so cute, and her husband is gorgeous. He kind of has that Prince Harry look about him."

"Which I'm betting you made sure to mention in front of Chuck," Blair laughed.

"Naturally," she chuckled, "And he glared at me devilishly for that."

"And Chuck's office?" Serena inquired.

"It's Bart's old office," Blair explained, "It still looks virtually the same as it did when he ran things. There is even still the picture of Chuck's mother on the bookshelf. I added a picture of me right next to it when he wasn't looking."

"So you're the girlfriend of a CEO," Serena stated, "We never even thought to dream that high when we were little."

"I know," Blair laughed.

"We should get to shopping," Serena stated, "We've got a lot of damage to do, and I'm sure you'll want to make it back to Chuck's suite before he gets home."

"He probably won't be home until late," Blair shrugged, "But you're right. I do have a special evening planned for him. I made Eugenia promise to notify me when he leaves so that I have the necessary time to prepare."

* * *

"How's it going, Buddy?" Nate inquired as he stepped into Chuck's office later that afternoon. Chuck was sitting behind his desk trying to make sense of the business proposal that had been laid in front of him. He looked up at Nate with a grateful smile on his face because he now had something to distract him.

"Nathaniel, I thought you were still in Europe," Chuck stated as he stood up and hugged him.

"I heard a crazy rumor about my best friend becoming CEO, and I had to see it for myself," Nate responded as he admired the office, "Looks like it did when Bart was here."

"Nobody has used it since," Chuck shrugged, "I feel a little strange sitting in his chair. This all felt like a dream until I did that this morning."

"I see Blair's been here," Nate responded as he picked up the picture that she had left earlier.

"She thinks that I didn't see her leave it, but naturally I did," Chuck laughed as he took a moment to admire the photo. His heart sped up just a bit at the sight.

"I didn't know Bart kept a picture of your mom here," Nate replied as he exchanged photos.

"It was on his desk when I walked in this morning. I had to relocate it to the shelf, or I wouldn't have gotten much work done. I can't believe I never noticed it before," Chuck responded.

"Well, you never had a chance to sit on that side of the desk before," Nate concluded.

"What can I do for you today, Nathaniel?" Chuck inquired as he allowed Nate to sit in his chair to try it on for size, "Do you want a summer internship before you head off to Columbia?"

"God, no!" Nate laughed as he tried to relax and get comfortable in the plush brown leather chair, "I'll enjoy the carefree summer lifestyle for as long as it lasts. But I was thinking about dinner tonight after you finish with work. We've got to celebrate."

"Not tonight," Chuck shook his head, "Blair and I are having a quiet dinner together to celebrate if I make it through my first day."

"Speaking of Blair, how's it going between you two?" Nate asked curiously.

"I won't bore you with details, but it's going really good," Chuck responded with a bright smile, "She's a lot easier to be with than you made her out to be when you were together."

"Why don't I believe that?" Nate asked as he shook his head in disbelief.

"It's true," Chuck reiterated, "We still have our arguments, but that's because we are who we are. I think she picks fights with me just so that we have a reason to make up."

"Spare me the details," Nate requested with a roll of his eyes, "I should let you get back to work. We need to have dinner one day this week. We can get Serena and Blair to join us."

Chuck nodded in agreement, "I'll talk to Blair tonight and find out what will work out."

"Take care, Man, and don't let them work you too hard. You are still Chuck Bass after all. You need to have some fun," Nate smirked.

"Blair will take care of that for me later," Chuck grinned wickedly.

"I don't even want to know," Nate responded with a roll of his eyes.

"Mister Bass, Ms. Waldorf is on line 2," Eugenia stated into his intercom.

"I'll let you go. Say hi to her for me," Nate stated as he turned to leave.

"Thanks for stopping by," Chuck responded sincerely, "It's good to know that I'll still have friends while I'm at the top."

"We're brothers, you know that," Nate stated as he left.

Chuck smiled as he picked up his telephone receiver and hit the appropriate button.

"Bass, which color do you prefer . . . black or red?" Blair inquired.

"Well, hello to you too," he chuckled.

"I'm sorry, how is your afternoon going?" she sighed happily.

"Better now that I hear your voice," he mused.

"Black or red?" she repeated.

"That depends," he responded, "Are we talking lingerie colors or suit ties?"

"You'll have to make your pick to find out," she teased.

Chuck groaned at the prospect. Her in red lingerie was a sight to behold, but black brought out a completely different side of him an edgier side.

"Clock is ticking," she teased as the phone line was filled with silence as he weighed his two options.

"Red . . . no black," he stated.

"Are you sure?" she purred.

"Yes," he hesitated.

"Then I'll see you later tonight back at your place," she cooed seductively.

"Blair, that's not fair," he practically whined, "You can't call me up with such a vague question and not give me a hint."

"I'm just making sure that you make it home at a reasonable time," she laughed.

"I can be home in ten minutes," he groaned, the lust becoming evident in his tone, "If you promise to make it worth my while."

"I always make it worth your while," she smirked. She could hear the passion in his voice. She loved that she was getting to him.

"Seriously, Blair, ten minutes," he groaned as he shifted a little bit in his chair to get more comfortable.

"That would be pretty silly considering I won't be home for a least a couple of hours," she chuckled.

"If looks could kill through the phone, Waldorf, you'd be dead right now," her growled.

"I'll see you at home later tonight," Blair laughed, "Be good. I love you."

"I love you too," he responded. He smiled at the realization that she had called his place home. It had never felt that way until they became what they currently were. Before it was just a place to come back to when he needed to escape, now it was a place to come home to . . . home to her. A thought suddenly occurred to him so he called Eugenia into his office.

"Yes, Mister Bass," she responded as she held out a PDA, ready to take notes for whatever request he made.

"I said it was Chuck," he groaned. She'd been referring to him as Mister Bass all day and it caused him to always look over his shoulder to see if his father was standing behind him. It was a little strange to know that if he did look behind him at the moment, he would see an oil painted picture of his father, the only new addition made to the office since his father past away.

"What can I do for you, Mister Bass?" she inquired yet again. The twinkle in her eyes told him that she was now playing with him.

"I need to know the names of all the top real estate agents in New York City," he replied.

"Mister Bass, all of the top real estate people work in this building for you," she reminded him.

"I'm not looking for a development to invest in. I'm looking for a home of my own, one away from the Palace," he explained.

"I'll see what I can do for you," she responded.

"Thank you, Eugenia," he replied as he smiled at her.

"Anything else, Mister Bass?" Eugenia asked playfully.

"I'll give you a three percent raise if you stop calling me that," he chuckled.

"But where would the fun be in that," she replied, not taking him as seriously as she probably should have.

"That's all for now," he laughed.

"Ms. Waldorf requested that I notify her of when you were leaving. Do you have an estimate as to when that might be?" Eugenia inquired.

"I've got a few more business proposals to get through today before I can even think about leaving. I've got at least three more hours," he replied as he eyed the stack of papers on one side of his desk.

"I'll let her know," Eugenia nodded.

"You don't by any chance know what she's planning for this evening do you?" he asked just as his assistant was turning to leave.

"I do," she nodded, "But I cannot tell you."

"You forget who pays your salary," he laughed lightly.

"But we both know who the boss of you is these days, and it's not the Board of Directors," she smirked.

"She's going to get it when I get home tonight," Chuck grinned devilishly as he began to attack the proposals on his desk with a renewed interest. He could hear Eugenia laughing all the way back to her desk.

**TBC . . .**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Ms. Walforf, Mister Bass has left the office for the day," Eugenia notified Blair much sooner than Blair had anticipated. She had just returned to his suite from her marathon shopping adventure with Serena. Serena was currently helping her decide which of the many clothing options she had purchased would be the most appropriate for the evening she had planned.

"Eugenia, he's much earlier than you had anticipated," Blair responded in a frantic tone.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Waldorf, but he finished his work much sooner than even he anticipated," Eugenia responded.

"That's alright, Eugenia, I can work with what time I've got. Can you call his driver and have him circle Central Park a few times to buy me a little more time?" Blair inquired.

"I will do my best," Eugenia agreed.

Serena looked at her friend curiously as Blair closed her phone. "Sounds like you and Chuck's assistant are getting along very well. She sounds like your new partner in crime."

"That title still belongs to you," Blair assured her, "But it never hurts to make new allies."

"What do you need me to do?" Serena inquired as she saw the panicked look build in Blair's eyes.

"You can start by hanging up all of these new purchases in his closet," she stated as she began to throw bag after bag into it.

Serena looked through the door to see that Blair already had her own section. She raised a curious eyebrow towards her friend.

"This was the housekeeper's doing, not mine," Blair assured her as she read her best friend's mind.

"What did Chuck say when he saw that?" Serena asked.

"He hasn't said a word. It's almost as if he enjoys seeing my things hanging in his closet," Blair replied as she stepped into the room they were referring to, pulling a few drawers open when she did, "I even have my own few drawers. This was Chuck's doing. He did it when I was sound asleep one evening. When I woke up the next morning, my things had disappeared into these drawers."

"I never thought I'd see the day," Serena shook her head.

"We still have our bumps, but we're settling into a very comfortable place," Blair replied.

"Well, don't get too comfortable," Serena cautioned her best friend, "If there is one thing about Chuck that I do know, he has a short attention span and things that bore him quickly get discarded like yesterday's laundry."

"I will never be yesterday's laundry," Blair assured her, "I said we are settling into a comfortable place, I didn't say we were falling asleep in boredom. The level of comfort is good for us. It's something different . . . something better."

"Something permanent?" Serena questioned. Blair's eyes widen as the words sunk in.

"Don't you dare let Chuck hear you say that!" Blair exclaimed.

"I would never," Serena assured her friend.

"Okay, enough dawdling, " Blair proclaimed, "We have work to do, and less time than expected to do it. I've got to order Chuck's dinner and then get the table set. You've got to get these clothes that I bought him put away and then out the door."

"You mean I don't get to see Chuck's reaction to the lingerie that you purchased for the evening?" Serena pouted.

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea," Blair shook her head, "I have a feeling that I won't be wearing it for too long."

"Here comes my lunch," Serena responded as she put a hand on her stomach in an effort to settle it down.

"Honestly, for as wild a child as you once were, you're turning into a prude!" Blair replied.

"I am not!" Serena responded defensively, "If it was anyone other than Chuck, I'd be asking for details . . . but it's Chuck."

"He's your step-brother," Blair chuckled, "His charms should have rubbed off on you while you were living together."

"It wasn't exactly his charms that rubbed on me," Serena rolled her eyes as she began her task, "You didn't have to watch him parade different women into the apartment every night."

Blair frowned at the reminder of the playboy he once was. She wasn't so stupid as to completely forgot his past. It was a part of who he was, how he got to where he is now. That was the person that she loved unconditionally. There was a part of her that feared that part of him, feared that he would get bored with her as Serena had mentioned and look elsewhere, but she knew that she had time. She was determined to enjoy everything that they currently had.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Chuck laughed as he came through the suite door. He had just caught Serena at the elevator leaving. She had wishing him a good evening with a sly grin on her face which made him even more eager to get into his room.

"How did your first day go?" Blair asked as she rushed into his arms and kissed him in greeting.

"Better than I expected," he confessed as he dropped his briefcase and hugged her tight.

"Well, considering you thought the company would implode in one day, that doesn't take much," she replied as he pulled her closer to him as her arms circled his neck.

"So perhaps I know more than I gave myself credit for," he conceded.

"I saw the stock updates, sounds like Wall Street gives you more credit than you do too," she replied.

"I wouldn't know," Chuck stated, "Eugenia took my phone away after lunch. Apparently the random updates were wearing on her nerves. She deprogrammed my phone."

"Awe, I knew I liked her," Blair replied with a slight giggle, "Are you hungry? Dinner should be here in a few minutes."

"I'm starving," he responded as he began nipping her neck, "But not for food."

"You'll just have to be patient," she replied as she shrugged out of his arms, slide his coat off his shoulders, pulled his tie away, and pushed him towards the elegantly set dinner table. She quickly lit the two candles as she tried to avoid his hands, which were trying to pull her into his lap.

"Why are you wearing so many clothes?" Chuck inquired as he finally got a firm enough grip on her hips to pull her towards him. She was still wearing the same outfit she had worn this afternoon when they had met for lunch. He was slightly disappointed. He had hoped to walk into the suite and find her on their bed in a flimsy piece of lace that would give under the slightest bit of stress.

Blair allowed him to pull her into his lap as she began to unbutton the top few buttons of his dress shirt to make him more comfortable. His lips kept attempting to capture hers, but she always ducked away at the last possible moment. She had a planned the events of their evening to happen in a certain order. She was pretty sure that if she let him begin kissing her, she wouldn't be able to stop and dinner would go to waste.

"Patience, Bass," she smirked as she tilted her head back so that she could avoid his seeking lips once more. He landed on her neck with drew out an impassioned moan from her. He chuckled at the sound. He knew that nobody else could cause her to make that noise. That sound was all his, just as she was all his.

"I don't have a patient bone in my body," he groaned against the silky skin of her neck.

"Least of all that one," she hissed as her hand pressed against his groin. Chuck gasped in surprise at her forwardness.

"Especially that one," he hissed as he bucked up against her hand that was gently stroking him through his designer dress pants as he captured her lips finally with his, his hands tangling in her hair to press his lips harder against hers. He was punishing her for denying him for the few unsuccessful attempts.

"Dinner will be here soon," she responded as her eyes began to cloud over with the familiar arousal that was pooling deep within her, "We don't want to keep the server waiting."

"I pay the server's wages," he reminded her, "They'll wait for as long as it takes for us to answer the door."

The convenient knock at his suite door provided her the necessary respite that she needed. Things between them were heating up faster than she had planned. She began giggling at the growl that came deep from within Chuck's throat as she stood up from his lap, removing herself and her hand from him.

"I can take it from here," Blair assured the server as he began to wheel the food tray further into the suite. She quickly grabbed the server's receipt, provided the generous tip that she knew would make the server's day and shoved him gently out the door. Once the platter of food was in front of Chuck, she returned to her seat on his lap. His hands reflexively went to her hips.

"What about dinner?" he teased as he smirked into her neck again as his lips began a path from her collarbone to her earlobe.

"Dinner is served," she assured him as she reached out and lifted the silver cover off the platter, "Champagne shrimp pasta."

"How am I supposed to eat it?" he inquired as he hands began to roam her body touching her everywhere from her tights to her breasts, "My hands are otherwise occupied."

"I plan on feeding you," she responded.

"How about I just feast on you," he groaned as he bit her neck playfully, "You taste so much better than any gourmet meal ever could." He let his tongue blaze a trail up her neck once more, smiling at the racing pulse he felt on his way. He could hear her breathing become shallower. Her body was becoming more fluid. She was melting into him. His tongue trailed the shell of her ear as his hand began to roam up her thigh under the skirt she was wearing. He was momentarily startled when he heard the piece of silverware that she must have picked up crash back down to the plate.

"Slow down, Bass," Blair commanded as the noise effectively pulled her from her trance. She caught his hand before it was able to make its way to her core and shatter her entire resolve. "I promise we'll get there later. You need to eat and build up your strength."

Chuck nodded in concession as his hands went to the safer position at her hips once again. If she was planning his seduction, who was he to refuse. She began wrapping the pasta around the fork before feeding it into his mouth. She smiling at the humming noise he made as he savored the taste.

"Do I get details of your day?" Blair inquired as she began to alternately feed him and then herself.

"There isn't all that much to tell," he replied, "I had meeting after meeting all morning, lunch with you, and then more meetings, a visit from Nathaniel, a phone call from you, and then I had several business proposals to get through and give notes on."

"Wait, back up, Nate came to see you. I thought he was still in Europe," she replied.

"He heard about my promotion and wanted to wish me luck," he offered up an explanation.

"That must have made your day," Blair smiled. She knew how important Chuck's friendship with Nate was to him. She hated that she had been the reason for all of the falling outs that they had over the past two years.

"It was good to see him," Chuck nodded, "He suggested a breakfast club dinner sometime this week. I told him I'd get with you and get back to him."

"Any time this week is fine," Blair assured him, "I'll check with Serena and get back with you."

"Speaking of Serena, how did the search for her father go?" Chuck inquired.

"The trail went cold in Venice," Blair frowned.

"Yeah, my PI lost him there too," Chuck added. Blair looked to him to offer up an explanation as to what he was talking about. "When you got the text regarding Serena's adventure with Baizen, I decided to throw in my assistance. Carter isn't exactly the most reliable person. I was worried about Serena, so I sent the PI to help out and keep an eye on the two of them to make sure that they stayed out of trouble."

"Thank you for looking out for my best friend," Blair responded as she fed him the last bite. He nodded as he finished chewing. "Now for being such a good boy, you have earned your reward."

"I hope my reward revolves that mysterious black item you were inquiring about," he responded.

"Patience," she whispered into his ear. He was officially out of patience at that moment as he quickly stood up from his chair, lifted her into his arms and deposited her on his bed moments later.

"I haven't been patient a day in my life," he growled as he covered her body with his, pressing his covered erection against her core, "I'm certainly not about to start now with my beautiful girlfriend underneath me and arching her back into me." It was true, as soon as he thrust his hips she reflexively lifted off the bed to grind against him.

"Chuck," she moaned as his lips went to her neck once more, finding her pleasure point and sucking greedily. He was going to leave a mark, but he didn't care at the moment. Her fingers found their way into his hair as she held him closer as she thrust against him once more. He hissed at the friction her movement caused.

"You make me crazy with the need I have for you," Chuck groaned as he slowly began inching up the hem of her blouse to reveal the pale cream skin beneath, his lips following the hems trail. "Nobody does this to me but you. I should have known it a long time ago. Nobody could ever feel as good to me as you do."

"Chuck," she moaned again as his hands covered the lacy silk of her bra after he removed her blouse completely. Her plans were officially cancelled as he worked the front clasp, letting the garment fall away to reveal her breast to him. He latched on to one, which drew out another sound from her lips. It wasn't his name this time. She was beyond words now. He smirked in victory. There was no stopping her when she got like this, not that he would ever dream of doing so.

"Too many clothes," she gasped as she fisted his dress shirt in her hands.

"You are absolutely right," Chuck responded as he rocked back on his knees to begin freeing himself of his shirt. She sat up and tried to assist him with the buttons but fumbled repeatedly. She gave up and then ripped the shirt open, buttons flying everywhere. "I liked this shirt, Waldorf."

"I like it better now," she stated as she peeled it from his shoulders and threw it to the ground before she began working the button of his trousers. Again she fumbled, but this time he brushed her hands away and undid the buttons himself. He already lost a shirt that evening, he didn't want to lose the pants, even if he was Chuck Bass and able to buy new clothes whenever he chose. Once his pants and boxers were discarded, he quickly worked to remove the skirt and panties she had been wearing.

Chuck gasped as he raked her bare skin with his eyes. He had seen her in the flesh probably over a hundred times now, but the slight before him still momentarily took his breath away. "You're perfect, Blair," he moaned as he leaned into her once more to capture her lips. They both moaned in satisfaction as their bare skin made contact as he slipped into her.

She continued moaning into his ear as they moved in unison. The dance was becoming more familiar each day, but the feelings it inspired were still something they were getting used to. This was them making love.

**TBC. . .**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"So, what did you have planned for me this evening?" Chuck inquired as they lay in bed trying to catch their breaths.

"What?" she mumbled. She had lost her ability to think coherently at the moment as she rested her head on his shoulder as she curled into him, her fingers combing through the hair on his chest. Goosebumps were rising up on her forearms as she cooled down and the sweat on her skin began to dry.

Chuck quickly pulled the bedcovers over them to keep her warm as he began to run his hands along her shoulders to increase her body heat. She loved this time they spent together, after they had made love when he ensured that she was taken care of. It was almost as if he was thanking her for the time they spent together.

"The evening that you had planned," he prompted her as her eyes drifted closed. She was tired. He could see that, but his curious mind wouldn't let her go to sleep until she answered the question.

"Let me recover a little, and then I'll show you," she promised as she kissed his chest as she tried to snuggle closer to him. Her leg wrapped around his hip.

"Take all the time you need," he sighed as he took a deep breath as his head landed back against the feather pillow. Her eyes closed as she fell into a peaceful slumber. He watched her for several minutes, her chest rising and falling in his arms. Before he knew it, he was asleep as well.

* * *

"Wake up, Bass," Blair cooed into his ear seductively. He tentatively opened his eyes to see her dressed in a sexy new piece of lingerie.

"I was expecting black," he replied as he fingered the lacy deep green fabric.

"You'll get your black," she assured him as she pulled him to his feet and guided him into the bathroom where a tub full of steaming water with floating candles that were lit. Candles surrounded the tub, give the room a warm glow. "Careful when you slide into the tub. I'd hate for you to burn your skin."

"Will you be joining me?" he inquired as he turned to pull her into his arms.

"In a little while," she nodded, "But first I want you to relax and enjoy the water. It's at your perfect temperature."

"Which is just a little too warm for your delicate skin," he concluded as he caressed her shoulder softly with the back of his hand.

"Not everyone is born with that thick Bass exterior," she whispered in his ear as she guided him into the tub, moving the candles around so that he would not get burned.

Chuck sighed in contentment as he relaxed into the tub. It was rare that he ever even took baths. He was more of a shower guy. Bathtubs were for romantic encounters and before Blair he never felt the need.

"Sit back and relax," she whispered into his ear. "I have a few more things to take care of. By then the water should have cooled down enough for me to join you."

She turned to leave, but he caught her arm. "Don't make me wait too long," his eyes pleaded with her.

"I would never," she assured him with a wink.

He closed his eyes and sunk further into the tub, letting the warm water work its magic on his tired muscles. He didn't know how long he sat there before he felt her presence as she put her arms around his neck. They were so in tune with each other that words need not be spoken at that moment. He simply sat forward so that she would slip in behind him, wrapping her legs around his waist as she took a sponge in her hand and began working the soap across it until it was sufficiently lathered up. She began to wash every square inch of skin she could reach.

"We need to take baths together more often," he sighed as his head fell back against her shoulder.

"Anytime you want, Bass," she whispered into his ear as her arms went around his shoulders.

"I've been thinking about something all day, and I want your opinion," he stated.

"Okay," she nodded against his shoulder.

"I'd like to look for a place of my own," he responded as he ran his hands along her legs which were now stretched out next to his.

"You have a place of your own," she stated in confusion.

"I mean a real home," he clarified, "A place like you grew up in, not this suite that I was banished to whenever I did something inappropriate."

"Is that what Bart really did?" she inquired. She'd never heard him talk like this before. She always assumed he liked having this suite at his disposal.

"On more than a few occasions," he nodded.

"I'm sorry," she replied as she kissed his cheek gently. She could see him fighting his emotions as he tried to bury the pain he was feeling.

"He really was a Basstard sometimes," he stated bitterly, "But I still loved him, and I still needed his approval."

"And he gave it to you," she responded as she recalled the letter than his father had left for Chuck when his will was read.

"That damn letter doesn't count," he snapped as he sat forward, slapping the water in disgust. Several of the candles turned over and the flames were put out by the water. "Was it too hard for him to just tell me those things in person, just once?"

"For Bart Bass, yes," she nodded as she sat forward and put her arms around him again, pulling him back with her, "Not everyone has the courage to admit their feelings like you did with me."

"Do you think he knows how much he messed me up?" Chuck asked as he turned to look into her eyes. His were dark in anger, but they began to soften as their eyes locked.

"I don't know," she responded truthfully, "I don't even know if my mother knows how much she messed me up."

"But you're perfect," he gasped as he kissed the hollow of her neck.

"I'm not," she shook her head. It was her turn to hide her pain. Her lip trembled with the pain and anger she felt. He'd seen that tremor before, the day of graduation when she had opened herself to him completely and practically begged him to love her.

"You are," he assured her. He tried to draw her gauze into his, but she closed her eyes to avoid him. "Look at me, Blair." His voice was pleading with her and it scared him how desperate it sounded.

She shook her head and kept her eyes closed tight.

"Blair, you are perfect," he repeated as he began kissing her face repeatedly, everywhere from her eyelids, to her forehead, to her cheeks, and her chin, everywhere but her lips, "To me, you are perfect. I'm the only one that matters right now."

"And you do matter to me," she whispered, her eyes still closed but he could feel her resolve weakening, "More than I think you realize . . . perhaps more than I think I realize."

"I love you, Blair," he replied as he silently begged her to open her eyes for him, so that she could see exactly how much his statement was true. She must have heard him because her eyes did open. She smiled at him through the tears that had formed.

"I love you too," she replied as he leaned into capture her lips.

"I don't know about you, but I'm turning into a prune," he announced as he looked for a way to change the subject as he held up his hands for her to exam, "And there is one part of my anatomy that I really don't want to shrivel up."

"Neither do I," she laughed as she kissed each one of his fingers. She then turned around to begin blowing out the candles around the tub as he rose up. He pulled her to her feet and then they both stepped out and began drying each other off.

Once sufficiently dry, Chuck pulled her roughly to him, lifting her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. She hissed as his already hardening erection pressed against her.

"You have all the energy of the Energizer Bunny," Blair stated as he walked them back to his bed.

"Is that a complaint?" he teased as he lowered her to the soft bed.

"Never," she replied as he slipped into her, a gasp escaping from her lips by the suddenness of his entrance.

"I'm still not seeing where the black is coming into play," he teased as they moved together, their hands entwining as they went.

"You'll get your black, I promise," she groaned as she felt the pleasure building inside her. "God, Bass, how do you do this? How do you make me feel this good this often?"

"I have no idea," he admitted, "I don't know how we do this. All I know is that I don't think I'll ever tire of it."

"Good," she moaned as she suddenly felt herself fall over the metaphorical cliff with Chuck falling right behind her as he collapsed on top of her. They both fell silent as they came down from their blissful high.

"I'm crushing you," he realized as he moved to roll off her.

"No, you're not?" she assured him as she held him tight to her, "Please don't move. I'm not ready to lose the connection yet."

He nodded as he stilled his movements. "Tell me if it gets to be too much."

"You'll never be too much for me," she responded as she reached out to caress his cheek. They were both still breathing heavy, but they were slowing down.

"If I could figure out a way to run Bass Industries from this bed, I would," he chuckled.

"You wouldn't get any work done," she laughed with him.

"Back to my original statement about the home I want to buy," he stated as he pressed his forehead to hers, "I want you to help me look. I want you to be a part of this process . . . I want us to do this together."

"How soon do you want to start looking?" she asked as she saw the sincerity in his eyes. It touched her heart in ways she couldn't understand at the realization that he wanted her to do this with him. It was like he was making plans for their future . . . the one she didn't allow herself to think about.

"Could you meet me at the office tomorrow afternoon around five?" he inquired, "I'm meeting with one of the realtors."

"That soon," she responded as her eyes widened.

"I don't want to wait long," he responded.

"Okay," she agreed.

He rolled off her suddenly and onto his back. She turned to pout as he took a deep breath. "I was crushing you," he offered up an explanation.

"I wasn't complaining," she replied as she rolled on top of him.

"Round three already?" he chuckled just before she leaned into capture his lips.

"Only if you're ready," she teased.

"I'm always ready," he assured her as she began kissing his neck. Suddenly he stiffened in her arms. "Hold on one second, Waldorf. What was the black item that you were referencing when you called me earlier? The lingerie was green. The candles in the bathroom were blue. The flowers on the bed which you probably don't think I noticed when we fell onto it after our bath are yellow."

She began giggling at the realization that she had become distracted yet again. She slid off of him reluctantly and walked into his closet, pulling out a small box she had purchased earlier that day.

"This is for making it through your first day," she blushed as she handed the box to him.

"You didn't have to get me anything," he replied as he kissed her hands softly before he accepted the box.

"I wanted to," she replied, "I wanted to give you a briefcase, but Lily got to that before I did. At the store, Serena and I couldn't decide which color was more appropriate for you. She suggested red, but I said black."

"Obviously you won," he smirked, "Which makes sense considering our fashion sense is virtually the same."

"Open it," she stated jumping a little in excitement.

He opened the box to find a black and gold tie clip and cufflinks. "This is perfect," he stated as he picked up one of the cufflinks and examined it. They were engraved he realized with the letters C and B.

"For Chuck Bass," she added.

"Chuck and Blair is more appropriate," he amended, "But if anyone asks, I'll be sure to tell them Chuck Bass. I'd hate to let anyone else know that I wear my heart on my sleeve."

"You mean on your wrist," she smirked as she took a hold of his wrist to look at the gold bracelet that he hadn't taken off since the day she had given it to him almost a month ago.

"Thank you," he responded sincerely as he put the link back into the box and set it on the nightstand so he could pull her to him and thank her properly.

"I also bought you new clothes that are in your closet," she pointed out.

"The tie clip and cufflinks were enough," he assured her.

"Perhaps," she agreed, "But I was having too much fun shopping for you. I've never really shopped for a man other than my father before. It's almost more fun than shopping for myself."

He chuckled. "I can't believe that Serena would think that I'd want red! I thought she had more class than that."

"Well, she is dated Carter Baizen right now," Blair replied, "Her judgment is a little compromised."

"Remind me to run him out of town again," Chuck groaned as her lips came crashing down on his. They both began laughing as they fell back onto the bed.

**TBC. . .**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Where's Chuck?" Serena asked her best friend as she sat down next to her on a bench in Central Park. Blair had called her half an hour ago and asked her to meet in the park. She was flipping through a real estate book that Chuck's realtor had put together for him.

Chuck Bass had proposed moving out of his sleazy penthouse suite at The Palace and into a real home almost two weeks earlier. He concluded that if he was adult enough to have a serious relationship with Blair then he was adult enough to own his own home. He had blown her away when he had asked her to help him look. They had spent almost every night after he finished with work, going through the various listings and touring their options.

"At the office of course," she frowned as she looked up to see Serena smiling at her.

"What's that?" Serena asked as she took the book from her, "It looks like a home fashion design catalog."

"It's actually an Upper East Side real estate brochure," Blair corrected her. Of course it looked like a catalog. UES was the elite part of New York City. They didn't do anything small, especially for real estate.

"Real estate," Serena responded in confusion. "Are you moving? I thought you were going to live at the dorms at NYU."

"And I still am," Blair replied as she began playing with the gold key charm around her neck, "Chuck is the one that is moving, and that Basstard won't tell me where."

"He's moving and he's not telling you where. I thought things were going so well for the two of you," Serena chuckled.

"They are . . . or at least they were until he had this package delivered this morning by messenger," Blair stated as she showed Serena the necklace and the hand written note that had come with it.

**- The key to my Heart is in your hands. You have twelve hours. – Chuck**

"What does that mean?" Serena asked as she read and then reread the note.

"I don't know, and that motherchucker won't answer my calls. His secretary isn't any help either. She said that 'Mister Bass is in meetings all day and cannot be disturbed'." Blair mocked viciously.

"I thought you liked Eugenia," Serena laughed.

"I did until she stopped cooperating with me," Blair snapped, "Now I have to figure out what this cryptic message means, and all I have is this key necklace and a two hundred page real estate brochure to go through without the slightest hint of what I'm looking for."

"What do keys do, Blair?" Serena asked as a thought occurred to her.

"I realize that you may have lost a few brain cells over the summer with all of the _**fun**_ you may have had with Carter Baizen, but keys still do the same thing they always do, unlock things," Blair responded in her sarcastically sweet voice.

"What if this key unlocks something in one of these pictures?" Serena exclaimed, ignoring the sarcasm of Blair's comment, "Maybe he's trying to tell you something, give you a hint like a romantic scavenger hunt."

"Come on, Serena, this is Chuck Bass," Blair chuckled, "The man doesn't have one romantic bone in his body."

Serena raised an eyebrow in response.

"Okay, he has one romantic bone in his body," Blair blushed. She actually downplayed how romantic he had been since they got together. It was a part of him that was reserved for her. She didn't feel comfortable sharing it with anyone, even her best friend.

"Seriously, Blair, I think you should try to figure out what this key around your neck could unlock in these photos," Serena pressed.

"Fine," Blair responded as she undid the clasp and looked at the key, holding it against anything in the pictures that might need a key to unlock it. They spent thirty minutes combing the pages, but weren't even ten pages into the book.

"This is impossible!" Blair exclaimed as she slammed the book shut angrily, "That man has given me less than four hours to figure out this stupid riddle. We're ten pages into this book, and we don't even know if we're on the right track!"

Suddenly the messenger from earlier that day appeared.

"You!" Blair exclaimed as she pointed to the man that was stepping forward and handed Blair another letter, "How did you know I was here?"

The man didn't answer. He simply held out a clipboard for her to sign before he handed her Chuck's next clue.

"Did Chuck hire someone to stalk you?" Serena mused as she waited for Blair to open the envelope.

**- Four hours, Waldorf, and the Clock is ticking. You're on the right track. See page 139. - Chuck**

"I have to give the man some credit," Serena laughed as Blair eagerly flipped to the page Chuck had instructed her to, "This is pretty well planned out."

"Credit is not helping!" Blair exclaimed as she finally found the right page, "Help me look!"

Blair and Serena took another hour to scanned the entire page. There were dozens of possibilities.

"Wait a minute!" Blair exclaimed as she threw the book at Serena and grabbed each note in one hand. "Clock and heart, both have beats, quick show me that page again. Is there anything on the page that has a beat?"

"You mean other than the grandfather clock with a heart shaped lock," Serena stated as she pointed at the picture. The key Blair was holding in her hand looked like a perfect fit.

"This has got to be it," Blair exclaimed as she looked at the photograph.

"Now all we need to do is figure out where this place is," Serena concluded.

"These pictures in this brochure have addresses," Blair stated as she flipped to the page once more. "All of these homes are for sale. It's the purpose of the book."

"Not this page," Serena stated as she scanned the page looking for details or an address. She flipped to the page before and after as there were more details, but this appeared to be the one listing with no address.

"He is making this downright impossible!" Blair screamed in frustration.

"Maybe he doesn't know there is no address," Serena suggested.

"No, he knows and I'm sure that he's sitting in his office right now laughing with that sinister grin of his on his smug face," Blair cursed. "Why is he so good at pushing my buttons?"

"Because he's Chuck," Serena shrugged, "Why don't you just call his realtor and ask for the address?"

"Using your brain, van der Woodsen," Blair smirked as she pulled out her phone and began dialing the number of the agent. At least there was the agent's card attached to the back cover, "It's good to know that Bazien didn't kill all your brain cells."

The agent was remarkably cooperative, but only after Blair threatened to have whatever deal Chuck had made on the piece of real estate pulled. She was Chuck Bass's number one trusted advisor, she told the man. He wouldn't do anything without her okay.

Serena was laughing as Blair hung up the phone with her mission accomplished expression.

"I should make that Basshole suffer for awhile," Blair mused, "It would serve him right from messing with my nerves."

"Don't you think that you should go check this place out to make sure that it really is the right place," Serena suggested.

"I don't have time," Blair smiled as she looked at the clock on her phone to calculate that she only had a few hours to get home and get dressed before she had to leave for the address the realtor had given her, "Although, I should have an opinion on if I like the place or not. This is the place I will be spending a lot of my time."

"Knowing Chuck he's probably having a mirror installed above the bed, a stripper pole in the middle of the room, and a swing over the bed," Serena cringed at the thought.

"No, he won't," Blair laughed, "He's with me now. He doesn't need all of that excitement."

"We're talking about Chuck Bass right?" Serena responded in mock confusion, "About five nine, brown hair, brown eyes, and a permanent scowl on his face."

"He says that I'm more than enough excitement for him in the bedroom," Blair shrugged as she dismissed Serena's snide remarks.

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Chuck Bass?" Serena pressed as Blair stood up with her hand bag slung over her shoulder and the real estate book tucked under her arm.

"Come on, Serena, I have a date to get ready for and only a few hours to do it," Blair responded as she pulled Serena to her feet, linked her arm with her best friend's and dragged her back to her home to get ready.

* * *

"Mister Bass, the realtor just called frantically inquiring if you had hired an advisor to assist you in purchasing real estate," Eugenia stated when she entered his office. Chuck raised an eyebrow as he waited for her to continue. "I assured him you had. I take it that Ms. Waldorf has figured out your clues."

"Excellent," Chuck smirked devilishly, "Is everything arranged?"

"Exactly as you have requested it," Eugenia nodded.

"Thank you," Chuck grinned as Eugenia left him to his work. Her sinister mind worked just like his. Of course she would figure it out in plenty of time.

* * *

Blair entered the penthouse of the address the realtor had given her earlier that day at promptly eight p.m. which was exactly twelve hours after the messenger had delivered her first package. The lights were off and she was suddenly fearful that she had misinterpreted the clues and gone to the wrong address. She began walking through the residence with her fingers crossed that she wasn't intruding in someone else's home. The rooms were completely bare so she was pretty sure nobody was currently living there. Still it could be someone else's property, and she didn't feel like going to prison that evening. Chuck would never let her live it down.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chuck looking at a breathtaking view of the New York City skyline as the grandfather clock from the earlier picture began chiming that it was eight o'clock. She gasped in surprise as she took in his silhouette. He had a glass tumbler in his hands full of his favorite brand of scotch.

"I was worried you wouldn't make it in time," Chuck smirked as he heard her heals click on the floor. The sound had been coming closer and closer since he heard the elevator chime her arrival. He didn't turn towards her. He was waiting for her to get closer.

"You think you're pretty clever with this treasure hunt, don't you, Bass," she responded seductively, "But if you really were, you would have turned on the power before showing me your new home."

"The power is on," he assured her as she came close enough for him to reach out and pull her into his arms so she could enjoy the same view that he had been.

"But its pitch black in here," she stated as she leaned into his embrace, the back of her head coming to rest on his chest as his arms came around her waist.

"I just wanted to take in the view," he whispered into her ear, "There is nothing better than standing on top of a tall building with nothing but the city lights shining below. It's why I like rooftops so much."

"Chuck, this view is amazing," she stated breathlessly.

"Even more so now that you're here to share it with me," he whispered as his lips brushing lightly against her ear as he spoke. A shiver coursed through her body before the flames he was so good at igniting began to take over.

"Why all the secrecy?" she inquired as she turned in his arms so that she was now able to see his face, full of shadows that the dark city provided, "It would have been so much easier if you had just given me the address and told me to meet you here."

"It wouldn't have been nearly as amusing," he purred as her arms came around his shoulders as she pulled herself closer to him, "We like the game, Waldorf. We always have. I don't want us to lose what makes us 'us'."

"What if I had misinterpreted the clues?" she inquired with a glimmer of teasing in her eyes.

"I wouldn't have let that happen," he assured her as his lips began making a path down her neck to her collarbone, "I had several clues ready for you covering dozens of angles, and my PI was following you to make sure you didn't veer off track. He was the messenger, by the way."

"So that is what he looks like," Blair smirked, "I'll have to remember that."

"He won't be following you anymore," Chuck mumbled into her skin, "I trust you, Blair. I have no reason for him to plot your every move."

Those three words meant as much to her as the phrase he had finally spoken to her after he returned from his misguided European adventure.

"Say it again," Blair requested with a moan as he kissed the sensitive spot on her neck.

"I love you, Blair," he smiled into her skin as he blazed a trail back up to her lips. The words came so effortlessly now.

"Not those three words," she chuckled softly.

He pulled away suddenly to stare intently into her eyes. "What game are you playing?"

"No game," she assured him, "I just love hearing you say that you trust me. Those words are as precious to me as your confessions of love. Chuck Bass trusts one person in his life, himself."

"Now it's two. I love you, Blair, and I trust you," he assured her as he pulled her away from the window, setting his drink down on a nearby counter on the way by.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he pulled her briskly through a vast hallway. She was practically running to keep up with him which wasn't an easy thing to do in three-inch heals.

"To the most important room in the place," he stated as they rapidly approached the one room that was giving off light. Just before they crossed the threshold he stopped suddenly and insisted that she close her eyes. She did so without hesitation. He guided her forward gently, stopping her after a few steps before he told her she could open her eyes.

She gasped in delight at the candlelit bedroom. Candles were covering every flat surface and rose pedals were spread over the floor and giant king size bed in the middle of the room.

"Chuck," she whispered as his arms came around her waist from behind as he began nibbling her neck once more.

"Do you like it?" he whispered as he held her, pressing his body as tight against her as he could.

"It's wonderful," she responded as she spun in his arms for the second time that evening. As the words came out, his lips captured hers leaving her breathless.

"I know you want to live at the dorms and have the full college experience, but this will be waiting for you whenever your heart desires," he stated as he tore himself away from their kiss to allow her a much needed breath.

"Will it have more furniture next time?" she smirked.

"Only the most important piece of furniture has been brought in," he stated as he began backing her towards the bed, "You can decorate the rest of the rooms however you please."

"Me," she responded in surprise as the back of her legs made contact with the bed.

"Do you know of anyone better to make this place feel like a home?" he teased as he lifted her easily into his arms and laid her out on the bed and proceeded to make love to her.

**TBC. . . **


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Did you bring the necklace that I sent to you yesterday morning?" Chuck inquired as they both woke up to the bright morning light. Blair had concluded that thick blinds would need to be the first thing she purchased for his home. The bed, which was the most comfortable thing she had ever slept in, was the only real piece of furniture that he had.

She nodded as she tried to recall where her purse had ended up the previous evening. She had a feeling that he'd ask about the necklace.

"Let's go find your purse," he stated as he slid out from the bed and helped her up, sliding a silk robe around her shoulders before they made their way from the room. He knew how uncomfortable she was walking around naked anywhere but in the bedroom.

"Where did this come from?" she asked as she slipped her arms into the appropriate holes.

"My little secret," he stated as he held a finger to her lips.

"Dorota or Eugenia?" she smirked.

"Trade secret," he responded as he kissed her to keep her from asking more questions. "Now, where is that purse?"

They walked barefoot through the rest of the house. It looked completely different in the daylight. The entire floor was encased in wall-to-wall windows giving off an amazing morning glow. Most of the actual rooms were at the center of the floor plan with the exception of the master bedroom and bath. The floors she noticed were hardwood finished. Each room that they passed was painted in a rich and striking color to which she knew she could determine the perfect theme.

They made their way into the kitchen to find a wonderful spread of food laid out for them.

"The work of elves?" she eyed him curiously.

"Just call me Santa Claus," he chuckled, "Ho, Ho, Ho."

"Can we eat first before we search out my purse? I'm starving, and you gave me quite a workout last night," she mused as his arms wrapped around her waste from behind. He nodded into her shoulder as he led her towards the marble countertop. There were no chairs to sit in or a table to eat at so Chuck lifted her easily onto the counter as she reached over to pick up a handful of red grapes to eat.

"So, what do you think of this place in the morning light?" he asked as she looked over her shoulder to admire the space.

"It's amazing," she admired, "I can truly see you living here."

"And will you be here with me?" he inquired as he ran his hands along her thighs as she feed him a grape.

"Chuck?" she gasped.

"I know you want to do the dorm thing. I don't understand why exactly, but I know it's important to you. I want you to have that, but I also want to have this with you," he explained as he averted his eyes slightly to look at the connection his hand had with her thigh as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. She knew that he was hiding his eyes so that she wouldn't see his emotions. Even on the best of days, sharing their emotions was still difficult for both of them. "We can figure it all out."

"Chuck Bass, are you asking me to move in with you?" she giggled in excitement.

"Yes, actually, I am," he confirmed as he looked into her eyes finally, "We don't need to make it a formal thing. We don't even have to tell your mother. In fact, I would prefer that we didn't."

"I'd first have to tell her that we're together," she responded.

"You haven't told her yet?" Chuck exclaimed in disbelief.

"I haven't exactly been spending a lot of time at the house, and she's spent most of that time in Paris," Blair tried to explain.

"Blair, you have to tell her preferably before your father does," Chuck responded.

"She's not going to like it," Blair pouted.

"Well, it's your time to finally take a stand against her . . . declare your independence," he offered. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "You aren't ashamed of me are you?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed.

"Then what is it?" he inquired as he saw the hesitation in her eyes.

"Telling her is the last step to making us official," she explained, "It's the last step towards me actually believing that this is really happening between us. I still wake up some mornings convinced that this is all a dream, but thankfully you are lying right beside me to assure that I know it's real."

"All the more reason to spend our nights together," he smirked.

"As if I actually needed another reason," she teased as he bent into kiss her collarbone.

"We need to find that purse," he mumbled against her skin as he continued to kiss a path from one collarbone to the other.

"After we eat," she reminded him as she reached over again and grabbed another handful of fruit.

Chuck bit down gently on her shoulder. "I'm done."

"I am not breakfast," she laughed as he picked her up slightly and slid her closer to the edge of the counter so that he could press against her.

"But you taste better than breakfast ever could," he responded as he continued kissing her neck. Her head was tilting back to expose it to him even more as her breathing became shallower.

"Chuck," she moaned as he found the sensitive bit of flesh at the hollow of her neck and licked it lightly as she rocked against him ever so slightly.

"What were you saying about wanting to eat?" he smirked against her skin as she dropped the handful of fruit back on the platter. A few rogue grapes missed the tray and rolled to the floor.

"I don't care," she responded as his hands went to the knot at her waist and slid her robe open to reveal her flesh to him. The silk at her shoulders fell away to rest at the crooks of her elbows as her arms came around his mid-section to pull him closer.

"I suppose now is as good of a time as any to christen the kitchen," he declared as her legs wrapped around his waist.

* * *

"Two rooms down," Chuck smirked as he helped her off the counter after they had made love. Her knees didn't support her weight as they had turned to gelatin during their recent encounter, and she would have crashed to the floor if he hadn't had a tight hold on her. "A little weak in the knees, Waldorf?"

If she hadn't needed both arms to hang onto him she would have slapped him, but she did so she had to settle for biting his collarbone roughly.

"I love it when to play dirty," he hissed into her ear. She scowled at him in response. "Let's go find that purse of yours."

"What is so important about this key?" she asked, "It was just a clue to find your new place."

"The key really does unlock something that I want to give you," he explained, "And you have the only key."

"What would happen if I lost the key?" she inquired as they began their scavenger hunt. There were only a limited number of places it could be.

"We'd have to call a locksmith," he replied, "Because I'm pretty sure that you'll want this gift. It will come in rather handy in a few days time."

She looked at him curiously. "What are you up to, Bass?"

"We have to find that purse for you to find out," he stated as they went from the window she had found him the previous evening and then back to the bedroom where they began to dig under the clothes that had been thrown around the room in their haste to christen his new place.

The frustration of not being able to locate her purse was starting to get to her. She knew that she had it when she left her mother's apartment because she remembered Dorota handing her the bag, which also meant that she would have had it when she got into Chuck's limo. But now she couldn't remember if she had it in her hands when the driver helped her out. Chuck quickly located his phone and called his driver to have him check. Sure enough, the purse turned up and minutes later it was being delivered to his penthouse.

"Now, let's solve this puzzle," Blair stated as she pulled the box out of her purse and held out the key to him.

"What did this unlock in the book?" he inquired.

"For god's sake, Bass, let's just get on with it!" she exclaimed.

"Taking the Lord's name in vain. That doesn't seem like a wise thing to do for someone of your intelligence," he chuckled.

"Fine, I'll have your name in vain, you motherchucker," she snapped as she slapped his still bare chest. He had put his pants on for the sake of the limo driver, but he had forgone the shirt, which he was now regretting as he saw the bright red handprint on his chest that she had inflicted.

"Waldorf, that one hurt," he replied as he rubbed his chest.

"I thought you liked it dirty," she responded playfully as she stepped forward to give his chest a soothing kiss.

"Will you answer my question," he requested as she continued to peck at his chest in an effort to make amends.

"There was a tiny lock on the grandfather clock," she stated, "The key opens it."

"It was my mother's father's grandfather clock," he told her as he led her to the clock, "Supposedly, he was a man with a unique gift for building hidden compartments in ordinary things. I didn't even know this was here until I pulled your key out of my mother's jewelry box."

"This was your mother's?" she inquired as she looked at the key with a new appreciation.

"Yes," he nodded, "After Bart died, Lily made sure that I was given all of her things. They apparently held a sentimental value for my father."

"Bart as a sentimentalist, why is that hard to believe?" Bart mused.

"Because he was a hard ass," Chuck offered as he took the key from her as they approached the clock and unlocked the small lock. "If you look from a distance, do you see any hidden compartments?"

"No, it looks like a regular clock," she replied as she squinted her eyes to try and find what he obviously saw.

"Now, come closer," he requested as he prompted her to take two steps closer to him, so he could show her what he saw.

"This is unreal!" Blair exclaimed as she reached out to touch the hidden compartment. It blended in perfectly with the rest of the clock.

Chuck then opened the compartment, using the small key once more for the hidden lock underneath. Inside revealed a small gift wrapped box which he handed to her.

"Dorota, Eugenia, or a saleslady?" Blair inquired as she inspected the beautifully wrapped box, wanting to know who had wrapped it for him.

"Santa Claus, remember," he chuckled.

"Ho, Ho, Ho, and all that," she rolled her eyes as she pulled at the ribbon and began to unwrap the box. Inside, over a layer of cotton was a keycard. She pulled it out and looked at it curiously.

"It works the elevator that you rode up in last night," he explained.

"How did I get up here last night?" she inquired. She hadn't needed it before, and his chauffeur hadn't needed it that morning.

"The doorman let you up last night and my driver this morning," he explained. "He's very good, and very discreet. You probably didn't even know that he had to do anything to let you up."

She nodded to indicate that he was right. "Why is this necessary if the doorman is there?" she inquired as she held the card up to him.

"It's symbolic really. I'm giving you a key to my place. I want you to know that you can come and go as you please," he explained.

"This is going to come in handy when I start my decorating," she smiled as she put the card back into the box.

"Which room sound we christen next?" he inquired as he pulled her towards him.

**TBC. . . **


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**And don't forget the reviews at the end. They keep me typing and updating.**

"You don't have to do this," Blair insisted as she watched Chuck fiddle with his tie for the hundredth time since they left his penthouse as they got into the elevator to her mother's apartment. He was so nervous that it was downright adorable. In his hand was a bouquet of white lilies. He knew they were her mother's favorite.

"I was there when you told your father," he assured her, "I can be there when we tell Eleanor and Cyrus."

"My father will be a piece of cake compared to Eleanor," she mused.

"Blair, I can handle your mother," he tried to sound confident, but he knew she heard the nervous hitch in his voice.

"Relax, Bass," she tried to encourage him, "No matter what she says, it's not going to change my mind about us being together. We're good together. I don't need my mother's approval."

"What if she downright forbids it?" he inquired.

"Then she'll have to live without her daughter for the rest of her life," Blair smiled, "You are as much family to me as she is."

"I've never really felt like I had any family for the longest time, even when Bart was still alive. Now I have the van der Woodsens and you," he stated as his eyes started to moisten in emotion.

"I love you," she stated as she leaned into kiss him just before they arrived at her childhood home. Dorota was standing at the elevator to greet them. She eyed Chuck with a devilish scowl.

"Hello, Dorota," Chuck stated as Blair rubbed her lipstick off his lips.

"Hello, Mister Chuck," she responded as she waited for Chuck to remove his coat and hand it to her.

"And how are you on this lovely evening?" Chuck inquired as he poured on the charm.

Dorota didn't answer him. She merely turned to put his coat in the hall closet.

"She likes me, doesn't she?" Chuck asked Blair as he tried to get a handle on Dorota's feelings for him.

"Yes," Blair chuckled. The notion that Chuck actually cared about an employee in anyone's service was a little too amusing, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense that he would care. Dorota was an important part of Blair's life. She was more than just a maid, she was Blair's most trusted confidant. When everyone else in her life had turned on Blair, Dorota was the one that stuck by Blair's side.

The sound of Eleanor's laughter caught Chuck by surprise. He was so used to hearing her voice her displeasure that the sound shattered any self-confidence that he had.

"Relax," Blair whispered, "You get points just for trying."

"And what do these points get me?" he smirked.

"A night in bed with me," she whispered into his ear just as Cyrus came out of the dining room where her mother was looking over the caterer's work.

"Blair, sweetheart, we didn't hear you come in," Cyrus stated as he hugged Blair warmly in greeting before his eyes widen in surprise at the visitor Blair had brought with for dinner. "Chuck, it's always a pleasure."

"It's good to see you too," Chuck smiled as he shook Cyrus's extended hand.

"Blair only told us she was bringing a special someone to dinner," Cyrus stated as he tried to explain his stunned expression.

"A very special someone," Blair responded as she put her arm around Chuck's waist and pulled him closer. Chuck leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. The look exchanged between the pair didn't go unnoticed by Cyrus as he smiled with the giddiness he felt at seeing Blair so completely happy.

"Eleanor, Dear," Cyrus called out for his wife, "Blair and her guest are here."

"Oh, wonderful," they heard Eleanor say as her voice grew louder as she made her way from the dining room to the entryway where the trio was standing, "Who is the mystery gues. . ." Eleanor stopped talking as she recognized the man at Blair's hip. Her happy expression turned furious.

"Mom," Blair began.

"No," Eleanor burst out, "This isn't happening. You are not dating this man."

"You cannot tell me who to date," Blair responded as she held her ground.

"I'm not telling you who to date. I'm telling you who to not date," Eleanor snapped, "This man has caused you nothing but pain and misery. He's hurt you countless times. He'll do it again, and I don't want to have to watch you go through one more time."

"Mrs. Waldorf, I love your daughter," Chuck chimed in.

"You can stop right there," Eleanor commanded as she held up her hand, "I don't want to hear one word out of your mouth. You are just like your father, a lying, manipulative bastard that uses woman for their own pleasures and then throws them away like Kleenex."

"Mom," Blair gasped as she saw the pain in Chuck's eyes that her mother's insults had inflicted, "You cannot speak to Chuck like that!"

"Like hell I can't," her mother shouted, "How long is it going to take you this time to throw my daughter away? A week? A day? An hour?"

"Enough!" Blair shouted, "I will not have you speaking to Chuck like that. It's me that you are angry with, not Chuck. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me. It was my choice to not tell you about the two of us. If Chuck had gotten his way, I would have told you much sooner."

"Sooner?" her mother repeated in confusion, "How long have you been seeing him this time?"

"Almost three months," Chuck responded without hesitation.

"Three months," Eleanor forced the words out of her mouth, "You've been dating for three months and this is the first time I'm hearing about it."

"It's the first time you've been around for me to tell you," Blair snapped back. There was no point in making an attempt to have a civilized conversation with her mother at this point.

"I would have made the time if you had wanted to tell me," Eleanor insisted.

"And how would I have had time to tell you!" Blair exclaimed, "Would I have to call your assistant and make an appointment on your busy calendar? I'm not some stupid business contact. I'm your daughter!"

Chuck stood behind Blair and wrapped his arms around her waist. This was a conversation that had been almost nineteen years in the making. He couldn't get in the middle of it. He could only be there to support her.

"I know you are my daughter!" Eleanor stated defensively, "I carried you for nine months. I gave birth to you."

"And then after nine months, you popped me out, handed me to Dorota, and ignored me except when it was convenient for you to have a daughter," Blair responded as she pushed the tears out of her eyes, "You made me feel like I was invisible. You criticized me, mocked me, and made me feel so small that I started making myself sick. You are the reason I became bulimic. You are the reason that I would stuff myself full of food and then haul off to the bathroom to throw it up, and you know it. You knew it was happening. You knew I was sick, and you did nothing until you were forced to."

Chuck's eyes closed at the confession. He had known about her illness for as long as it had been happening, but she'd never said the words out loud before. He wanted to tear Eleanor apart for the role she played in Blair's illness, but that was not what Blair needed at the moment. She needed his arms around her.

Eleanor just stood with her mouth hanging open.

"Say something!" Blair demanded, "Defend yourself!"

Eleanor just shook her head. There were no words that seemed adequate.

Blair turned towards Chuck, "Let's go home."

"You are home," her mother insisted.

"No," Blair shook her head as she turned back towards her mother once gain. "My home is with Chuck. He makes me feel good about myself. He lets me be myself. I don't have to prove myself worthy of his love. He just loves me, flaws and all."

She turned back towards Chuck again and with pleading eyes, begged him to take her away. He nodded as he extended his hand to her. On the way to the elevator Chuck handed the lilies he had bought to Dorota as he accepted his jacket. Dorota smiled at him warmly as they stepped on the elevator.

Blair cried in the limo during the entire ride back to his penthouse. She was thoroughly exhausted by the time the driver stopped the vehicle in front of his building. Chuck carried her the entire length from the car to the elevator, the entire ride to his apartment, and then directly into his bedroom.

"What do you need me to do?" Chuck asked, speaking for the first time since they left her mother's apartment as he removed her shoes.

"Get this Eleanor original off me, and burn it," Blair stated as she looked at the dress she was wearing.

Chuck nodded as he lifted the dress over her head and then walked to the corner of the room where the fireplace was, flipped the switch so the flame would ignite and then tossed the dress into the flame. After it had sufficiently burned, he heard her sigh in relief. Upon returning to the bed, he noticed that Blair had relaxed exponentially.

"Tomorrow, we burn the rest of Eleanor's disasters," Blair insisted as she sat on the bed in only her lingerie. Her eyes were red from the crying, her usually flawless makeup was streaked, but she still managed to take his breath away. "Tonight I need you to make love you me. Make me feel how much you love me."

Chuck descended upon her immediately, capturing her lips in the most passionate kiss he'd ever given her. He needed her to feel how true her words really were. He would give up everything in his life except her, even his very life.

**TBC. . .**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Georgina Sparks!" Blair exclaimed as she stormed into Chuck's penthouse. Chuck was in his office doing some work when he heard the elevator chime to announce her presence. He hadn't expected to see her that evening as she told him she would have to study that night. She had started NYU just a few days earlier, and already she was turning back into the bookworm she was at Constance. He jumped in surprise when he heard her booming voice. "Georgina Freaken Sparks!" she repeated.

"What happened?" Chuck asked as he dashed out of his office to greet her. She was clearly it no mood for the kiss he wanted to give her.

"You know how that roommate of mine still hadn't shown up even though classes started a few days ago. Well, she suddenly showed up, and it's Georgina, the devil's spawn herself," she snapped.

Chuck's stomach dropped. There were was no one that either of them hated more than her.

"How the hell did that happen?" he exclaimed as he watched her throw her Louis Vuitton clutch across the room in anger. It nearly knocked over a vase full of her favorite flowers that he had given her the previous evening during their dinner.

"I don't care how it happened," she snapped, "I want you to fix it."

"Me!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"Your mind is the only one devious enough to pull it off," she explained, "I can pretend to be the cruel, manipulative bitch all I want, but we both know that I'm no match for the great Chuck Bass."

"You took her down the last time we had to face off," he responded.

"With the help of Dan Humphrey," Blair added sarcastically.

"You don't need my help," he tried to assure her as he caressed her chin gently, "When you want, you can be just as evil as I am. I know that as well I as know the sound of your cries of passion."

"If that is your way of trying to seduce me, it's not going to work," she snapped as she tried to brush his hand away, "I am too pissed off right now to even think about that."

"Then by all means don't think," he whispered darkly as his hand caressed her stomach though the silk fabric of her blouse, "I am perfectly capable of doing all the work."

There was something about the way he was touching her that left her feeling raw and totally exposed. He'd never made her feel that before. She'd always felt cherished and beautiful under his touch, but this was different. She realized as he pulled her roughly to him to capture her mouth what it was that he was inspiring, pure lust. The anger she felt towards Georgina was amplifying her desire for him in ways she never thought possible. Her arms and legs wrapped around him immediately as she ground herself against him, the beginnings of his erection pressing against her.

Their clothes melted away. There were faint sounds of fabric tearing and buttons crashing to the hardwood floors, but they were totally irrelevant in that moment as he laid her out on the entryway table, climbing on top of her.

"Chuck!" she gasped as he filled her. She quickly bit down on his shoulder as he thrust into her roughly. This was not the usual pace they were used to. They both knew that she would be sore the next day. His hands on her hips that were holding her tightly would leave bruises. Her perfectly manicured fingernails digging into his back would leave scars. In that moment neither of them cared. All that mattered was reaching the peak as quickly as possible.

"What the hell was that!" Blair exclaimed once they had finally reclaimed a hold on their senses.

"I would say makeup sex, but we weren't arguing," he chuckled, "At least not with each other, and if Georgina is going to inspire those kinds of encounters more often, I'm not so sure that I want to get rid of her."

"Chuck!" she exclaimed as she slapped his shoulder. She couldn't decide if she was offended or amused.

"Seriously, Waldorf, that was so hot," he hissed. "I think I should work on pissing you off more so we can have encounters like that all the time."

"Are you saying that our sex life has gotten boring?" she stated with a slight frown.

"Absolutely not!" he responded convincingly, "I love our sex life, especially the fact that we have it so often, but every now and then it's good to get out of our comfort zone a little bit."

"You're bleeding," she realized as she pulled her hand away from his shoulder to find blood on it.

"It doesn't hurt," he assured her as he inspected her hand. It was shaking slightly at the sight of his blood. She hated blood. He knew it always made her either pass out or vomit. "Come on, Waldorf, let's go wash this off before you . . ." She didn't get to hear him finish his sentence as she slumped over. "Pass out."

If he hadn't been concerned for her well being, he would have found the situation amusing. Instead he picked her up in his arms and carried her into their bedroom and began looking for his smelling salts, a remnant of his hard partying days. Inevitably, he'd come across a companion for the evening that would pass out cold which he needed to get rid of in a hurry. The smelling salts always helped. He also quickly grabbed a wash rag and wet it down so that he could get rid of the blood on her hands.

As he spun around to return to her, he caught the sight of his back in the mirror. Her nails had dug deep. It was going to hurt in the morning. It was irrelevant in the moment, but he'd have to remember to tease her about it.

"Come on, Waldorf, time to wake up," Chuck whispered as he held the salts to her nose. He'd already cleaned the blood off her hands and his back so she wouldn't pass out again.

The salts awoke her senses instantly as she gasped.

"You okay?" he inquired, his eyes conveying the worry he had felt as he covered the salts.

"I hate blood," she responded weakly. He nodded in understanding. "Is your back okay?"

"I'll be fine," he assured her, "I may have a few scars, but it was absolutely worth it . . . Other than showing up, what has Georgina done?"

"Isn't that enough?" Blair exclaimed.

"It's enough to make you angry, but not enough to send one of your precious Louis Vuitton's flying across the room," he chuckled softly.

"Did I really do that?" she gasped in surprise. She had no memory of it.

"What happened?" he pressed.

"She is taking a perverse pleasure in rubbing it in my face that she was your first," Blair explained, her eyes going dark as her anger resurfaced.

Chuck sighed. It wasn't even true. His first time had been with one of the nannies that his father had employed to care for him. Clearly Georgina would have to be dealt with. He couldn't have her rubbing that in Blair's face especially because it wasn't true.

"Can I borrow your PI?" Blair requested, "If you won't help me take her down, at least let me use your resources to get some dirt on the bitch."

"He's all yours," Chuck assured her.

"Everyone has a weakness," Blair mused, "Even Georgina has one. I'm going to find it and get rid of her once and for all."

Chuck merely laughed. Blair was at her best when she was plotting. It was such a turn on for both of them. "And if you need my help, I will," he offered.

"Thank you," she replied as she leaned in to kiss him. "Now turn around and let me see your back. I want to see the damage."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," he shook his head, "They're pretty deep, and I can't take you passing out again."

"Turn around, Bass," she commanded. Chuck quickly did an about face to reveal his back to her. She had an audible gasp as she gently touched his shoulders. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," he assured her as he turned around once more as he leaned in to kiss her, "The pleasure was worth the pain."

**TBC. . .**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"You need to pay that P.I. more," Blair proclaimed as she sifted through the photos that Chuck had given her when she first entered his office. His private investigator had dropped them off earlier that day, and he had immediately called Blair. She would have been there sooner if she hadn't had an important class to attend.

"He's already one of the most highly compensated people on my payroll," Chuck insisted. They both heard Eugenia clearing her throat loudly at his proclamation. Chuck called out to Eugenia, "I said almost."

Blair couldn't help but laugh at the smirk she could visualize on Eugenia's face. She really did like his assistant. Eugenia didn't tolerate the crap that Chuck could put out anymore than she did.

"Who would have thought that Georgina had a kid," Blair mused as she looked at picture after picture.

"And one that's five years old," Chuck added.

Blair quickly did the math in her head.

Chuck could read her thoughts. "He's not mine."

"Are you sure?" Blair asked hesitantly.

"I was with Georgina one time, and we were in sixth grade which would have made us eleven . . .maybe twelve. That was seven years ago at the very least. No way is he mine," Chuck assured her. "I have no children, Blair. I can guarantee that."

"Promise," she requested as she kissed him. He merely nodded. "So, now the question is, what do we do with this information? I don't want to punish a child, even an offspring of Georgina's."

"I suppose the child has suffered enough," Chuck agreed, "She's practically abandoned him, leaving him with her deranged parents. No child so have to suffer like that. Even Bart Bass was a better parent than those people."

"And that's not saying much," Blair added.

"But Georgina does seem to care about this kid, at least enough to visit him once a month," Chuck replied, "She didn't give him up for adoption, and she didn't have an abortion, so there is something we can use."

"This feels low even for us," Blair stated, the distaste evident in her tone.

"Are you growing a conscience on me, Waldorf?" he teased. The fact was he felt bad about what he was even thinking, but if it meant that Georgina would leave them alone, he was willing to give it a try. He knew he'd never actually go through with it, but he had a feeling that Georgina wouldn't wait for him to call his bluff.

"You should talk," Blair stated as she smacked his chest lightly, "You'll never do it. You'll never call Family Services to report her."

"No, I won't," he conceded, "But I have no problems with her thinking that I would."

"I don't think I have the stomach for this one," Blair stated as she handed him the manila file full of the photos.

"I'll take care of it," he assured her. "I won't make you get your hands dirty."

"Thank you," Blair responded, her voice full of the gratitude that she felt for him.

"Oh, but I expect to be compensated royally for this," he assured her.

"Name the terms," she stated playfully.

It was a dangerous statement to make. Chuck was getting very creative since they had officially become a couple. He seemed to think it over for a few moments before he spoke. "How about we make that my little secret?"

"No way," she groaned as she shook her head from side to side, "You're mind is too devious. The more you think something through, the worse it turns out for me."

"Blair, I would never suggest you do something that you aren't comfortable with," he insisted. He was offended that she could even think such a thing. He may be Chuck Bass, but he was a newer, kinder, gentler version of him, one that cared about her well being above anything else.

"Okay, say I tentatively agree to your vague terms. I still get veto power," she countered. She couldn't allow herself to totally give up her control, and he hadn't expected her to.

"Deal," he agreed as he leaned in to kiss her. "Do you know Georgina's class schedule by any chance?"

"What difference does that make?" Blair inquired, "It's not like she's actually going to classes. This is all one elaborate ploy to get under my skin and get revenge on me for sending her to boot camp."

"It was one of our more brilliant moves," he smirked.

"Even when I could barely stand to be in the same room as you, we have always made a great team," she mused, playing with his tie as she remembered the night they had first plotted Georgina's demise.

"Make sure that Georgina is at your dorm room by six this evening," he requested, "I'll take it from there."

"Thank you," she stated once more as she kissed him. "I love you, Bass."

"I'm kind of fond of you too, Waldorf," he smirked.

She slapped him playfully before she left. Eugenia was chuckling as Blair walked past. Like a good assistant, she had heard their entire exchange. Blair gave her a friendly wave before made her way to the elevator as she pulled out her cell phone.

"Georgina, it's Blair. I have a study session with my lab partner at six this evening and I need our dorm room, so please for the love of God, vacate the room so that we can study in peace," Blair left a message for Georgina. She knew Georgina would take the bait. Another attempt to get under Blair's skin was too tempting to resist.

* * *

"Chuck, what are you doing here?" Georgina exclaimed as she walked into her dorm room to see Chuck sitting on her bed casually, as if he expected her, which of course he did.

"Waiting for you, of course," he responded smoothly.

"Was our time together that magical that you've been pining for a repeat performance for seven years?" Georgina inquired as she sat herself in his lap and put her arms around his neck.

"Let's make one thing quite clear," he stated as he forcefully threw her aside before he calmed himself down to evenly add, "You disgust me. There are few things in this world that do, but you top that list. I'm here to ensure that you leave Blair alone. I will not have you ruin this college experience for her."

"What are you going to do, Chuck?" Georgina's eyes sparkled as she responded, "Offer me money to go away. I'm not some call girl you can pay off."

"That would be an insult to call girls everywhere to have you join their ranks," he responded coolly, "And money would be pointless. You aren't worth a penny."

"But your precious Blair is," Georgina smirked, "I know things that can ruin her, private things, intimate things."

"Oh, I have a few cards of my own to play," he replied as he picked up the folder that he had laid out on Blair's bed when he first arrived, "And I think these might trump anything you've got on Blair."

"And what is that?" Georgina challenged him, "My juvenile record? Please that's kid's stuff."

"A curious choice of words," he stated as he opened up the folder and held out a picture of her five year old son. "That poor innocent child, having you for a mother. You probably don't even know who the father is. That is why you left that line blank on the birth certificate, right?"

Georgina's jaw dropped as she looked at the photo of her hugging her son. She recognized the outfit that he was wearing when she'd last went to see him a week ago.

"Where did you get this?" she snarled.

"Did you really think that you could waltz back into Blair's life without me taking action?" he inquired, "I would have thought that you'd know me better than that. You were my first after all, so that should give you all insight that you need. At least, that's what you told Blair, isn't it?"

Georgina's eyes began to tear at the thought that her privacy had been invaded.

" Please, you were my first . . . my first mistake," Chuck continued on.

"What do you plan on doing with this?" Georgina inquired, hoping that her voice sounded casual, "Submit this to Gossip Girl? Send it to Page Six? I don't care what people think about my reputation."

"I'm well aware of that," he replied, "I am well aware that society threats will not work against you, but I think I've come up with a much better alternative."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest in an obvious challenge to him, which he was only too happy to accept.

"You've been a very bad little girl," Chuck stated as he pulled out her rap sheet and list of her stints in rehab, as well as a picture of her that same afternoon after time with her son where she was doing lines of cocaine with some random guy she had just met. It was obvious it was the same day, as she was wearing the same clothes.

"This doesn't come as a surprise of course. We both know you have no moral compass whatsoever. I know you have no use for this information, but think of how interested the Department of Children and Family Services would be. Even with Mommy and Daddy's money, there is no way that any social worker or judge would allow you or your parents to keep that child. Your parents' pasts are just as sordid as yours. Thank goodness for that sweet nanny that your parents employ, or that child would turn out just as horrible and vicious as you did."

"You wouldn't do that," Georgina stated, her voice cracking as the possibility of Chuck seeing his threat through hit her.

"Try me," Chuck responded as he pulled out his phone and began searching his contact list for the DCFS number that he had programmed in earlier that day. Georgina quickly knocked his phone out of his hand before he could push the button to connect the call.

"I'll do whatever you want," Georgina caved instantly, "Just don't take my son way from me."

"How about that, you do have some sort of maternal instinct?" he mused, "I thought the spawn of Satan would be immune."

"What do you want?" Georgina shouted.

"You to leave Blair alone," he responded, "Forever. . . You come nowhere near her or me for the rest of our lives. You leave our friends and family alone, and you disappear. We never hear from you ever again."

"Fine," Georgina conceded as tears streamed down her face, "I'll do whatever you want, just don't take my son away."

"It's a deal," he agreed as he handed her the folder, "You can keep these. They're copies of the originals, of course. Think of them as a friendly reminder. I will not hesitate to use them if you so much as think about coming after either of us ever again. I promise you, Georgina, you would live to regret the day you first met me."

"We're already there," Georgina assured him.

"I'm glad we're clear on that," he chuckled darkly, "You've got an hour to get your stuff out of here, and if one piece of Blair's belongings are disturbed or missing, those pictures go straight to the authorities. My friend, Darryl, will be keeping an eye on you."

Chuck opened the door to introduce Georgina to his friend, a burly bouncer looking dude that Chuck hired especially for this one task. "He'll be keeping you company until you are safely out of Manhattan, and don't even think of bribing him. I assure you, he's highly compensated."

"I hate you, Chuck Bass!" Georgina screamed.

"The feeling is mutual, Bitch," Chuck assured her as his security guard handed him cell phone that had fallen to the floor. "Good bye, Georgina. Have a nice life."

He heard her screaming as he left the dorm. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

* * *

"How did it go?" Blair asked as soon as Chuck stepped of the elevator into his penthouse.

"She's gone," he stated, his voice dripping in the disgust he felt. He'd been fighting the awful feeling that settled into the pit of his stomach during the entire ride from her dorm room to his penthouse.

"Thank you," Blair exclaimed as she hugged him.

The jarring motion pushed him over the edge. He pushed her away and dashed towards the nearest bathroom to unloading the contents of his stomach.

"Chuck!" Blair exclaimed as she rushed into the room to she him perched over the toilet. Her heart broke at the sight before her.

"Go away, Blair," he requested as he looked up momentarily before he retched once more.

"I'm not going anywhere," she stated as she began to rub his back gently.

After a few agonizing minutes, his stomach finally settled. "God, Blair, you gave me a conscience," he gasped, "I almost did it. I almost called Family Services. I should have called them. That child does not belong with that horrendous woman or her twisted parents."

"What stopped you?" she asked as she continued stroking his back.

"I know what it's like going through life knowing that you are not wanted. She may be a messed up psychotic bitch, but she does love her son. I can't deny a child that," he explained as he pushed himself away from the porcelain toilet.

"Chuck, we've been over this before. Bart loved you," Blair whispered softly.

"Well, then at least Georgina's son will get a chance to know it," Chuck responded as she brushed the hair off his face that had fallen forward during his convulsions, "Maybe I can give him the chance that I never got with my father."

"I love you, Chuck Bass," Blair stated as she kissed his forehead.

"Why?" he sighed, his eyes full of the confusion her statement brought. "You've seen what I'm capable of. How could you love me after this?"

"Because you did it for me," she stated simply, "You did it so that she would stay out of our lives."

"And she is gone," he assured her, "We'll never see her again. I made sure of that."

"Thank you," Blair responded as she kissed his forehead again, "Thank you for taking care of Georgina for me. Thank you for not making me do this with you. Most importantly, thank you for loving me."

"And I do love you . . . more than anything. You are my world," he stated, speaking the words slowly and carefully.

"This time is different," Blair stated.

She remembered saying the words before, but this time it really was different. They would get through any obstacle that they may face. This time they would stay together. This time they would trust their love for each other and let it be enough.

"Make me forget," he whispered, "Make me forget what I just did."

"With pleasure," she responded as she helped him to his feet and pulled him to his bedroom were she began stripping him of his clothes. He wasn't nearly as coordinated as he normally was in the bedroom. His eyes were vacant. He was still thinking about what he had done earlier.

"Look at me, Bass," she commanded as she grabbed a hold of his shoulders and gave him a shake. "Focus on me. Let yourself feel me."

His eyes began to focus as her lips made contact with his chest. His hands found their way into her silky soft hair. A lustful sigh escape his lips as he began to respond to her touch. Suddenly he pulled her lips towards his, crashing them against hers. That was all the foreplay he could stand at the moment. He needed to feel her as he turned her towards the bed, backing her up until she fell softly against it.

"This is going to be quick," he mumbled against her lips. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she gave him a reassuring smile, "I'll be right there with you. I promise."

"I love you," he proclaimed as he slipped into her. As she promised, she crashed over the edge at the same moment he did.

**TBC. . .**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Chuck sat at his mahogany desk and tried to focus on the file in front of him.

It had been almost three months since he took over the empire, and things were going better than anyone could have expected. Chuck's vision for the company was different that Bart's. Nobody argued that point, but his instincts were possibly better. Real estate development was still the principle driving force of the company, but they were branching out into other avenues . . . nightclubs, restaurants, and department stores. Every move that was being made was looking better than the next.

Chuck was proud of what he had accomplished in such a short amount of time, but there was one thing that he was more proud of . . . his relationship with Blair. They were coming up on six months together, and he could not be more thrilled with the way things were going between them.

The next day was Thanksgiving Day, and would mark their six month anniversary. It seemed a little ironic even to him as it was her favorite holiday. This year they were celebrating at his penthouse. Everyone that mattered in his life was going to be there, Blair, of course, the van der Woodsens and by extension Rufus and Jenny Humphrey, Blair's father and Roman, and Nate and his mother. It was going to be a wonderful day, but looking into Blair's eyes as he left for work that morning, he knew that two people would be missing from the dinner table. It broke his heart as she forced a smile as she kissed him goodbye for the day.

"Mister Bass, Mister Rose is here to see you," his assistant told him as she entered his office.

"Chuck," he mumbled. Eugenia still refused to call him by his first name. It was part of their daily bantering back and forth that he usually found so amusing, but today he wasn't in the mood.

Eugenia frowned that her teasing didn't draw out the usual playful smirk from her boss. "Should I send him in?"

"Yes," he nodded as he closed the file, "And close the door on your way out."

She frowned once more as she told Cyrus to enter before she closed the door behind him. Chuck never closed his door. She was usually privy to all of his conversations. This must be pretty important.

"Charles, always a pleasure," Cyrus stated as he walked into his office and extended his hand to the young man.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me," Chuck replied as he motioned for Cyrus to choose one of the leather chairs in front of his desk. Once he had sat down, Chuck sat in the other chair. He didn't feel comfortable sitting in his usual spot on the other side of his desk. This wasn't a business meeting, and he wasn't the boss at the moment.

"I must say I was a little surprised when your secretary called mine and requested this meeting," Cyrus admitted.

"I'm sorry if I pulled you away from some important business," Chuck apologized.

"Nonsense," Cyrus replied, "It's the day before Thanksgiving, nothing is important today."

"One thing is," Chuck sighed.

"Blair," Cyrus concluded, "How is she?"

"Amazing," Chuck eyes lit up at the mention of her.

"Tomorrow's a big day for her," Cyrus stated.

"Her favorite holiday," Chuck nodded, "Everyone is going to be celebrating with us. . . except you and Eleanor. I know our last evening together went badly, but I think we should try again. Perhaps the holidays can be the excuse for them to declare the cease fire."

"Chuck, personally I think it's wonderful that you and Blair are together and that you are so happy," Cyrus began, "But Eleanor is my wife, and she is still furious with her daughter's decision. I may not share her opinion, but I have to respect it."

"Eleanor can be mad all she wants that Blair is dating me, but that's not going to change anything between the two of us. Will Eleanor really let this rip her and her daughter apart?" Chuck inquired, "Because I know Blair, she is not going to back down on this. She'll sever all ties with her mother."

"Do you really believe that?" Cyrus asked, his eyes conveying the fear he felt at the possibility.

"I know for certain," Chuck nodded, "She's already doing it. If this doesn't get fixed soon, it never will."

"So, you want me to bring Eleanor to your suite at the Palace and start World War III?" Cyrus surmised.

"Not exactly," Chuck responded, "I no longer live at the Palace, but World War III does seem like a possibility. I'm hoping that with Harold there, he can play the mediator and ensure that things do not get too out of control. He always seems to have a calming influence on Blair."

"I will do my best," Cyrus stated.

"Thank you," Chuck responded as he extended his hand to Cyrus once more, "That's all I ask." Cyrus quickly shook it before he got up to leave.

"Eugenia, how does leaving early sound?" Chuck inquired after he walked Cyrus to the elevator and then returned to sit at the edge of his assistant's desk.

"That depends," Eugenia asked, "Will you be leaving as well?"

"Yes," Chuck nodded as his missing smile from earlier return, "Blair's father gets in later this evening, and I'd like to have a little alone time with Blair before he shows up. She has already told me that while we can still sleep in the same bed, there will be no extracurricular activities until after her father leaves."

Eugenia began snickering in response as she saw the exasperation in his eyes at the thought. She had worked for Bass Industries for a long time, so she knew her boss's reputation as a womanizer. She was surprised when she first heard Chuck mention that he had a steady girlfriend. It was quite clear even during their first meeting that he was completely in love with her.

"And how long is Mister Waldorf staying with you?" she inquired.

"Four long nights," he sighed. He didn't know how Blair had convinced him that it would be a good idea for Harold and Roman to stay with them for the holiday. Perhaps it was the eagerness in which she exhibited at the thought of having their first house guests.

"Perhaps you should have held onto your suite at the Palace," his assistant mused.

"Don't think that thought hasn't crossed my mind," he chuckled, "What are you and your family doing tomorrow?"

"We're having a quiet dinner together," she replied at our apartment.

"If you'd rather have a noisy dinner with Blair and our family, you are more than welcome," Chuck responded.

"We don't want to intrude," Eugenia stated, visibly touched that he was even extending the offer.

"Nonsense," he laughed, "Blair has ordered enough food to feed a small Army. We have an amazing view of the Macy's Parade, which I'm sure that your sons would love."

"I'll mention it to my husband," she replied.

"Good. I hope to see you and your family tomorrow," he smiled as he stood up from her desk, "Get your things together. I'm kicking you out in five minutes."

* * *

"You're home early," Blair greeted him upon hearing the elevator chime his arrival. Her arms went around his neck immediately as she leaned in to kiss him. She was wearing a cute little apron and had a pot holder on her hand. The penthouse smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg. He prayed that someone else was there helping her cook.

"Well, your father gets in at eight," he responded.

"And you wanted to get in a few last rolls in the hay before then," she concluded.

"Four nights," he replied with a groan as he pressed himself against her.

"I have to finish the pumpkin pie first. It's almost finished," she stated as she shrugged out of his arms and returned to the kitchen.

He quickly emptied his pockets on the entry table before he nervously followed her. His imagination was working overtime at the thought that she had been in the kitchen attempting to cook her father's traditional holiday dessert. He imagined flour everywhere, pots and pans scatter about, and smoke billowing out of the oven, but the reality was anything but. The kitchen was as tidy as it ever was. The only proof that anything had been done, was the pie that he could see in the oven.

"Where's Dorota?" Chuck inquired as he came behind her to put his arms around her waist as she stared intently at the pie to ensure that it wouldn't overcook.

"What makes you think that I didn't cook this pie all by myself?" she responded defensively.

"Because your idea of cooking is the same as mine," he chuckled into her ear as he pulled her tight against him, "Dial the caterer."

"Dorota left fifteen minutes ago," Blair conceded as she relaxed into his embrace. "She told me to take this pie out in twenty minutes. I have five left, but she said that the last five minutes are critical and that I have to watch it very closely so that it doesn't burn. Does it look like its burning to you?"

"What does burning pumpkin pie look like?" he inquired as he kissed one of the sensitive spots behind her ear.

"I have no idea," she sighed as her eyes involuntarily closed with the sensations he was creating.

"You look so sexy in this little apron," he mused as his hands went to the ties at the back and began undoing it.

"Chuck," she groaned as she elbowed him in the ribs, "Not yet. Let me finish this first. I want this to be perfect for Daddy."

Chuck groaned at the blow to his ribs. It hurt a little more than he was sure she intended. "Are you trying to break a rib?"

"It would certainly slow you down," she teased as he took a few steps away to lean over the counter in pain. She didn't realize how much pain he was truly in until he bent over. The worry kicked in immediately. "Chuck, are you okay?"

"Give me a minute," he requested as her hand went to his back in an effort to sooth him.

"What can I do?" she pressed. "Do you need ice?"

"I'll be okay," he assured her as he stood up as the pain began to subside, "Just meet me in the bedroom as soon as that pie gets out of the oven."

She nodded as she watched him leave the kitchen. She felt absolutely horrible for the physical pain she had inflicted. Tears were stinging her eyes as she peered into the oven once more.

"How'd the pie turn out?" Chuck inquired as she made her way into the bedroom minutes later. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Fine," she sniffled as she climbed up onto the bed to lie next to him.

"What is it?" he asked as he wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," Blair stated as she buried her face in his chest as the tears flowed harder.

"What are you sorry for?" he laughed softly. Every now and then she'd get emotional over the most ridiculous things, which left him guessing as to what was really wrong. He knew her better than he knew himself, but days like today seemed to sneak up on him.

"For hurting you," she responded, her voice muffled by the fact that she was talking into his shirt.

"I'm okay," he assured her as he caressed her shoulders gently as he placed a kiss at the top of her head.

"But your ribs?" she inquired as she rubbed his side gently as she looked up at him.

"It hurt," he nodded, "But it doesn't anymore. I promise."

Her tears began to subside but her sniffling continued. "I don't know why I'm so emotional right now. Perhaps it's that time of the month or something," she tried to offer up an explanation for her emotional outburst.

"Or perhaps it's because tomorrow is your favorite day of the year, and you haven't invited your mother to dinner," he offered. He had been intent on surprising her with her mother's arrival the next day, but he suddenly realized that it wouldn't be a good idea. "Blair, I called Cyrus today. I asked him to see about bringing Eleanor to our dinner tomorrow."

"You did what!" she burst out in anger.

"Blair, she's your mother, and it's the holidays. It's a time to be with family, and she's a part of your family," he responded, trying to get the explanation out quick enough before she completely lost her temper.

"You are my family," she replied, "Until my mother accepts that, she is not."

"Yes, she is," he insisted, "And she always will be. She's just concerned about you. The points she made when we told her about us were valid. She just wants you to be happy."

"I am happy," she growled.

"And it's so obvious right now," he chuckled as she gave him her devilish glare.

"Not the time for jokes, Bass," she hissed.

"You're right," he sobered up quickly, "I'm sorry."

"Call Cyrus and uninvited my mother to dinner tomorrow," she demanded, "This is my favorite holiday, and I will not have my mother ruining it for me."

"If your mother is not here, it will be ruined," he responded as he was intent on holding his ground.

"Chuck, please," she responded as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Please try for me," he requested as he wiped the tear away. "I don't want to be the reason that you and your mother don't speak."

"You aren't the reason that we don't speak," she tried to assure him, "My mother is the reason that we don't speak. You know as well as anyone how messed up our relationship was long before you and I ever got involved."

"But the reason that you currently are not speaking is because of your involvement with me," he insisted, "I can't ignore that. Despite your complicated relationship, you still love her, and the fact that you two are not speaking is tearing you apart. I see it in your eyes every day."

"It's so sweet that you want to try and fix this," she stated smiling through the tears as she caressed his chin gently, "But could we do this any other day?"

"No," he shook his head, "Tomorrow is the perfect day."

"Because Daddy is going to be here," she realized, "You're counting on him to play peacemaker."

"Well the role certainly will not fall to me," he mused, "And I wouldn't dream of asking Cyrus to pick sides. Your father is the natural choice."

"You're lucky that I love you, Bass," she responded as she gave him a devilish grin, "If anyone else had tried to pull what you did, I'd have their head on a platter."

"How about we just roll around on this bed?" he countered as he rolled her on top of him.

"That's not much of a punishment, Bass," she snapped, "And I'm mad at you."

"By all means, punish away," he responded, trying to hide the smirk that he knew was threatened to form on his lips, "I've been a very bad, bad Bass."

Blair didn't respond to him other than to smack him in the rips once more.

"Blair, that still hurts," he responded as he held his side in pain again.

"I'm sorry," she pouted as she leaned down to kiss him in hopes that it would make amends.

"Your father gets here in just a few short hours, we've got a lot of time to make up for and not much time to do it," he pointed out as he looked at the clock next to their bed, "You have ten seconds to get yourself naked before I start tearing your clothes off."

"You drive me crazy, Bass," she stated as she began to button her blouse. She wasn't moving fast enough as he flipped them over so that he was on top as he began helping her remove her clothes so he could begin ravaging her.

"The feeling is mutual, Waldorf," he assured her.

**TBC. . .**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to review. I love reading them. If anyone thinks I need to change the rating, please let me know.**

"Why didn't you stay in bed when you woke up?" Blair inquired when she found Chuck sitting at the breakfast table reading a business proposal that Eugenia had slipped into his briefcase the previous day when he wasn't looking as they were leaving the office.

"It is too tempting," he stated as he leaned back and allowed her to sit in his lap.

"But I could have used you to keep me warm," she replied as her arms went around his neck to kiss him in greeting.

"Good morning," he responded as he smiled at her warmly as she turned to look at the file he was reading.

"Anything I'd find of interest?" she inquired as she scanned the page.

"It isn't even anything that I find interesting," he admitted, "So I highly doubt it. There is no way my company is going to invest in this. I'm only reading it through as a courtesy to the board member who submitted it."

"Does it still feel weird being the boss and making all of the decisions?" she inquired as she caressed his neck gently.

"A little," he nodded as his hand began to rub her exposed thigh. Her robe barely covered enough to be appropriate, and the negligee she wore underneath was not help matters. He had to force himself to think about non-sexual things to keep his lust under control.

"I'm making this hard for you," she realized as she stood up and took a seat in the chair next to him.

"In more ways than one," he chuckled as he reached out to grab her hand and give it an affectionate kiss.

"We made it through one night," she proclaimed.

"Barely," he added, "And the cold shower I had to take this morning wasn't appreciated."

"I'm sorry," she stated with a pout, "Next time we'll let my father and Roman stay at a hotel."

"No, next time I'll make sure that our room is sound proofed before we have overnight guests," he corrected, "You won't be able to deny me if you know that no one else can hear."

"You make an excellent point," she laughed.

"Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday that I invited Eugenia and her family to dinner today. I hope that's okay," he stated.

"Absolutely," she nodded. "I should have thought of that myself. I'll make sure that the caterer sets four extra places just in case."

"Why isn't this stressing you out?" he inquired, "I know you, Waldorf, and I keep waiting for you to flip out at the thought of that many people coming into our home for the first time."

"What is there to flip out about?" she inquired, "The interior designer did an amazing job of decorating this place. Even Lily will be in awe of the artwork. The cleaners came yesterday morning and cleaned this place from top to bottom. There isn't one speck of dirt anywhere to be seen. The caterer will be here at ten to begin setting up and preparing the meal. All I have to do is look gorgeous and entertain our family and friends."

"And gorgeous you will look," he smiled.

"Flattery will not get me to change my mind out the ground rules I sent forth before Daddy arrived," she smirked. She saw through his attempt before he even realized what he was doing. He frowned slightly in disappointment.

"Then I could use another cold shower, and you really need to change your clothes," he stated as he shifted in his chair uncomfortably, "That piece of fabric that you call pajamas is not helping."

"Good morning, Darling," her father greeted the pair as he entered the dining room.

"Morning, Daddy," Blair responded brightly as she closed her robe tighter over her body. Her father leaned over and kissed her cheek as Chuck scooted his chair closer to the table as Harold nodded in his direction.

"Good morning, Harold," Chuck nodded, "I hope you slept well."

"Very well," Harold nodded, "You two picked out the most comfortable bed for your guests."

Blair smirked. That was Chuck's contribution to the décor. He insisted that he knew better than most how to pick out a comfortable bed.

"Did you want anything for breakfast, Daddy?" Blair inquired, "We have a wonderful assortment of pastries."

"Coffee will be all this morning," Harold responded as he reached for the silver carafe to pour himself a cup. Neither Blair nor Chuck drank coffee in the morning, but Chuck must have had some made when he woke up. "After all, I'd like to save room for the wonderful meal I'm sure we'll be enjoying later."

"Is Roman awake yet?" Blair inquired as she reached out to take Chuck's hand in hers.

"No," Harold shook his head, "He likes to sleep late on holidays."

"I'm going to go get dressed for the day," Blair announced as she stood up, catching a glimpse of Chuck's lap and realized the awkward reason why Chuck had slid his chair forward when her father entered the room. "Chuck, can you come with and get a towel off the shelf for me. You know the maid likes to put the towels out of my reach."

Chuck looked at her with a slightly panicked look on his face. He didn't know what kind of game she was playing, but there was virtually no way for him to stand without embarrassing himself.

"Daddy, you should read this business proposal that Chuck has been looking at. He seems to think that it's not a good idea, and I'm sure he could use another opinion," Blair stated as she took the file from Chuck and passed it to her father holding it up at an angle so that he couldn't see Chuck as she pulled him to his feet and behind her before her father could see that anything was wrong.

"I'd be happy to look," Harold smiled as he accepted the file.

Chuck followed her closely out of the room and into their bedroom, closing the door and pushing her against it softly. "Thank you," he groaned as he grounded himself against her.

"I thought you were kidding about the cold shower," she chuckled as her arms went around his neck as she lifted herself off the ground to wrap her legs around his waist.

"I would never joke about something like that," he insisted as he turned them around and crossed the room to lay her softly on the bed as he ground himself against her once more. A slight moan escaped her lips.

"We can't do this," she whispered against his neck as she kissed his Adam's apple.

"Try and deny that you aren't as turned on right now as I am," he requested as he nibbled on her ear, "I can feel your desire. Your La Perlas are soaked."

"Chuck, my father is here, just a short walk away. What if he walks by?" she inquired.

"Blair, you know that he already knows that we make love," he chuckled softly as he dipped lower to kiss her neck.

"I know," she nodded, "We left evidence of that in his storage unit in France."

"I don't know how you left your panties in that office," he smirked, "Thankfully it was Roman that found them and not your father."

"And thankfully we were already on a plane to New York City before then," she smirked.

"Well it is Thanksgiving, and we do have a lot to be thankful for," he teased, earning a slap on the shoulder for his efforts. "Waldorf, please don't make me beg or worse take matters into my own hand. I've already had to do that once this morning."

"Awe, I'm sorry," she responded as she leaned up to kiss him.

"I don't want you to be sorry," he replied as he looked deeply into her eyes, "I want you."

"Follow me into the bathroom," she requested as she pushed him away slightly and sauntered towards the bathroom, looking over her shoulder to beckon him forward.

"Please tell me that you're going to surrender," he moaned as she pressed herself against him once more.

"Why do you think I brought you into the one room in this penthouse that already is sound proofed," she whispered as she shut the door as she began to rid him of his clothes as she walked them both towards the shower.

"I love how your mind works," he grinned devilishly as his hands went to the knot of her robe and slid it to the floor. "I should have thought of this sooner."

"Yes, you should have," she nodded as she reached out to turn the faucet on to adjust the temperature before he slip the lingerie from her body.

"I'm so glad you insisted that we completely remodel this shower to increase it's size," he groaned as they stumbled under the warm spray as she wrapped herself around him.

They both moaned as he slipped into her. There was no foreplay needed. They were both beyond ready.

"I love you, Chuck," she replied as her back hit the cold shower tile.

"I love you too," he responded as they collided together again and again, their pace turning frantic as their climax began to build. "Tell me you're almost there because I can't hold out much longer."

"I'm there," she assured him as her nails racked his back gently.

He nodded as he thrust into her one more time before they both reached their peak.

"That was amazing," Blair stated as he kept her pinned against the shower, his forehead resting against the tile over her shoulder as he tried to regain a hold of his senses.

He could only nod in agreement. She had left him speechless.

"Chuck," she whispered as she caressed his arm gently as she clung to him.

"Blair," he responded hoarsely as he began kissing her shoulder repeatedly as his lips trailed up her shoulder to her neck and then to her lips.

"Is that going to hold you for three days?" she teased.

"Not a chance," he shook his head as he felt himself hardening again inside her, "I have a feeling I'm going to be the cleanest man on the Upper East Side for the next three days."

"You are insatiable," she laughed.

"Would you really want me any other way?" he teased as he began to thrust inside her once more.

"Never," she assured him as her head was thrown back against the hard tile as the passion began to build once more, "I'd never want you any other way than you are."

* * *

"Blair, this place is incredible," Lily gasped as she walked from room to room to admire the décor as Chuck and Blair gave Lily the grand tour. Rufus was following closely behind, merely to oblige Lily. "Charles, you must be so pleased."

"Of course," Chuck nodded as he kissed Blair's forehead gently.

"I must know who your art buyer is," she requested, "I've been looking for a new one for quite some time."

"I'll be happy to give you a referral," Blair stated proudly as she flashed a beaming smile at Chuck as she walked on to the next room, curiously avoiding the master bedroom. Lily looked at Chuck curiously who was looking at Blair with the same expression. Blair completely ignored the looks. Their bedroom was not for the viewing public.

Once the entire dinner party had arrived, Blair instructed the caterers to put out the refreshments. When the elevator chimed once more, Blair looked on nervously, expecting her mother and Cyrus to walk out, but instead was relieved to see Eugenia and her family step out.

"Eugenia," Chuck stated happily as he and Blair went to greet her, hugging her warmly.

"Mister Bass, this is my husband Cedric, and our sons Eddie and Justin," Eugenia stated, smirking at the annoyed look on his face.

"Eugenia, if you don't call me Chuck in my own home, I'm going to have to fire you," he laughed as he shook her husband's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Cedric."

"Likewise," Cedric responded.

"Can we really see the parade?" Eugenia's youngest son asked Chuck.

"Yes, you can," Chuck responded as he pointed towards the window with the best view. Both children ran over excitedly.

"Cedric, this is the love of my life, Blair," Chuck stated as he introduced her to their guest.

"It's a pleasure," Cedric responded as he kissed her cheek gently. Blair saw a small wave of jealousy on Chuck's face, and she smiled in response.

"Here is a little something to thank you both for inviting us to dinner," Eugenia stated as she handed Blair a beautifully wrapped gift.

"You didn't have to do that," Blair stated as she accepted it and added it to the small pile of gifts she had been collecting that day from their other guests.

"Cedric, would you like to watch the game before dinner is served?" Chuck inquired. He remembered Eugenia mention to him that her husband had been a good college football player until he was injured his senior season. "We've got quite the entertainment system and gathering in the den."

Cedric looked at his wife as if asking for permission before he nodded eagerly.

"Eugenia, let me show you the rest of the house," Blair stated as she linked her arm with Chuck's assistant and eagerly gave the next tour. Chuck smiled as he watched her walk away. She was clearly in her element as she played hostess.

"You have a beautiful girlfriend, Mister Bass," Cedric stated as Chuck showed him to the den were all the men were sitting as they watched the game.

"It's Chuck," he corrected him, "And thank you. Your wife is pretty terrific herself. She keeps me on my toes and in line when Blair isn't around to do it herself."

Chuck quickly introduced their guest to the group. He had a feeling that Cedric and Nate would get along well, and he wasn't disappointed.

Just as Blair finished her tour with Eugenia, the elevator chimed once more. Blair's stomach dropped. This time it would be her mother and Cyrus. There was no one else it could be. Everyone else that had been invited was there.

Chuck quickly left the den and found Blair as she walked slowly to the elevator doors where Cyrus, Eleanor and Dorota were stepping off.

"Blair, you look ravishing," Cyrus stated as he hugged his stepdaughter in greeting.

"Thank you, Cyrus," Blair stated as she hugged him warmly in return before she turned to her mother's housekeeper, "Dorota, I'm so glad you came. It wouldn't be a proper Thanksgiving without you here."

"Pleasure, Miss Blair," Dorota stated as she bowed slightly.

"Hello, Mother," Blair stated coldly.

"Hello, Blair, you look lovely today," her mother replied. If Blair hadn't known better, she could have sworn she saw tears forming in her mother's eyes.

"Thank you," Blair replied as she smoothed out her dress subconsciously. She had designed it herself and had one of her new collegiate friends help her sew it.

As Chuck looked around, the rest of their guests had gathered a safe distance away as if they were expecting a floorshow.

"Charles, this home of yours is lovely," Eleanor stated as she swallowed nervously. He could see that she was making an effort.

"Thank you," Chuck responded as he put a comforting arm around Blair's waist, "But Blair deserves all of the credit. She worked with the interior designer to turn this place into our home."

"Our home," her mother repeated as a single tear escaped.

Fortunately the caterer picked that moment to announce that dinner was to be served and that everyone was to take their seats.

"Blair, can I have a few moments with you?" Eleanor asked after dinner as everyone had scattered. The men were back in the den watching football. The woman were in the theater watching a movie that Serena had picked.

Blair nodded as she showed Eleanor to Chuck's office where they could be alone.

"This is a lovely home that you have here," Eleanor stated as she took the picture of Blair from Chuck's desk and admired it.

"Thank you," Blair responded nervously.

They both stood in silence for several moments. Blair wasn't going to be the one to start the conversation.

"This isn't easy for me," Eleanor stated as she set the picture down and looked at Blair, "But I was wrong about Charles. It is quite obvious that he does love you. I saw it that day you came to see us, and I see it again today every time he looks at you. I still stand by what I said that day, but I should have trusted your judgment. He is your choice, and it is very clear that he makes you happy."

"Chuck wasn't the only thing we argued about that day," Blair stated as tears began to fall.

"You're right about the bulimia," Eleanor nodded, "I did know it was happening. I saw the warning signs, but Blair it wasn't because I thought you were flawed that I didn't stop you. I didn't know how to stop you. I tried to deny it at first, pretend that it wasn't really happening. It was easy for a little while. I was going through the pain that your father's leaving me caused, but it became more and more obvious. I tried to reach out . . . tried to stop you, but I realized that I was out of my league. I didn't know what I was doing."

"If you had just said something . . . anything, I might have stopped sooner," Blair whispered.

"Have you stopped?" Eleanor asked, "Completely?"

"I'd be lying if I said that I don't think about it from time to time, but I haven't thrown up like that since Thanksgiving two years ago when Daddy didn't show up," Blair stated. "When I do think about it, I always have Chuck to fall back on. He makes me feel so beautiful and perfect and loved. I didn't know being in love could be like this." She paused as she choked up at the thought.

"Blair," her mother stated as she went to hug her daughter.

"Please don't," Blair requested as she stepped away.

Chuck and Harold stepped into the study at that moment. Blair turned and ran straight into Chuck's arms.

"What did you do?" Harold snapped as he stalked toward Eleanor.

"Nothing," Eleanor replied as she looked tearfully at the way that Chuck held her daughter, "I apologized. That's all."

"Is that true?" Chuck whispered as he kissed her forehead.

Blair nodded against his chest as she buried her face into him.

"Blair, you need to finish this," Chuck encouraged her as her arms wrapped tighter around his waist, "Accept her apology. You know you want to." He felt her shaking her head against him. "Please, do it for me," he whispered as he caressed her chin softly, "Do it for us."

She looked up into his eyes suddenly and then nodded her head before she turned towards her mother. "I accept your apology, Mother," she stated as she brushed tears out of her eyes.

Eleanor reached out to hug her daughter. Blair let her this time. They both dissolved into tears. Harold put his arms around the two woman as the family truly reunited for the first time. Harold motioned for Chuck to join them. He did awkwardly as he put his arms around Blair's waist. Harold's arm went around Chuck's midsection as Eleanor touched his shoulder.

"What did I miss?" Nate inquired as he came upon the group.

"Nathaniel, as always your timing is impeccable," Chuck stated as he stepped away from the trio.

"Do I even want to know?" Nate asked as Chuck slapped his back affectionately.

"Probably not," Chuck shook his head as he pushed Nate back to the den to rejoin the football game. "I'll be there in a few minutes." Nate nodded in understanding.

Eleanor and Harold had retreated to a different room to speak with each other, and Blair was waiting patiently for him to return to her. She had no doubt that he would.

"Thank you," she stated as she ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.

He wasn't exactly sure what she was thanking him for, but he didn't need an explanation. He just wanted to savor the moment that he had with her. He knew what this afternoon meant for the two. He had been accepted into her life, by her family. He knew that one day he would ask for her hand in marriage, and they would give it without hesitation . . . without question. One day she would be his forever and nothing would stand in their way. This was it for them. This time they were forever.

**The End.**

**Author's Notes:** I cannot _**wait**_ for the new season to start. I hope it as exciting, or hopefully more than what my mind came up with.

After almost a month and a half of daily updates, I think I'll be taking a break from posting any more stories for while to focus on my original works . . . unless I get truly inspired (as a writer, my inspiration comes from many different directions, so I reserve the right to change my mind and post tomorrow).

**Thank you** to everyone for reading. And a very **special thank** **you** to those of you that took a few moments to review. The words of encouragement kept me pushing through the mild case of writer's block that I had faced around Chapter 15.

I hope you have enjoyed reading these stories as much as I have enjoyed writing them.


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